Support for ratepayers who’ve lost some or all of their Small Business, Rural Rate Relief or 2017 Supporting Small Business Relief (SSBR) scheme.
About the 2023 SSBR scheme
2023 SSBR will help ratepayers who’ve lost some or all of their Small Business, Rural Rate Relief or 2017 SSBR because their rateable value changed at the 2023 revaluation. If you’re one of these ratepayers, you could be facing large increases in your bills.
To support you, 2023 SSBR will limit the increase in your bills to a cash value of £600 per year. This cash maximum increase means that you will not have large bill increases in 2023/24 after transitional relief and small business rate relief (as applicable) are applied.
Ratepayers on 2023 SSBR whose 2023 rateable values are £51,000 or more will not have to pay the supplement (1.3 pence) to fund small business rate relief while they are eligible for 2023 SSBR.
2023 SSBR will count as a subsidy. This means:
- you can only claim it if the business has not already exceeded the permitted UK Subsidy Control legislation, specifically the Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) limit
- no recipient can receive over £315,000 over a 3 year period
The 3 year period is the current financial year and the 2 previous financial years. Extended Retail Discounts granted in 2021/22 do not count towards the limit. You must include Covid business grants received from local authorities and any other subsidy claimed under the Minimal Financial Assistance or Small Amounts of Financial Assistance limit over the 3 year period.
Who is eligible for 2023 SSBR
Supporting Small Business (SSB) Relief was introduced following the 2017 revaluation to support ratepayers facing bill increases greater than the Transitional Relief caps due to loss of Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief.
Ratepayers who got SSB Relief because of the 2017 revaluation will continue to get relief, if eligible, for 2023-24.
2023 SSBR will end for these ratepayers on 31 March 2024 without further notice.
If you’ve recently taken on a second property with a rateable value over £2,900 and get the Small Business Rates Relief Extension, you will still be able to get 2023 SSBR until the grace period ends (a year in total).
Charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs, who are already entitled to mandatory 80% relief, are not eligible for 2023 SSBR.
How to get 2023 SSBR
You don’t need to apply for 2023 SSBR. If you qualify, we’ll automatically apply the relief to your account and send you a revised bill.
To be eligible for the relief you must be receiving Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) on 31 March 2023. If you were getting SBRR but haven't received 2023 SSBR, email business.rates@bristol.gov.uk
If you weren’t receiving SBRR on 31 March 2023 but think you might be eligible for 2023 SBRR, see the qualifying criteria and online application form on Discounts for small businesses.
How long you can claim 2023 SSBR
2023 SSBR will end when:
- your bill reaches the amount you would have paid without the scheme
- the property becomes vacant
- a charity or Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) occupies the property
Any relief awarded under this scheme will be adjusted if your circumstances change. For example, if:
- you leave the premises
- there's an amendment to the rateable value of your premises
How to refuse 2023 SSBR
Email us immediately on business.rates@bristol.gov.uk if you want to refuse the relief. We’ll send you a revised bill.
Find out more on Business Rates Relief: 2023 Supporting Small Business Relief, local authority guidance on GOV.UK.