BUSINESS support paid out to struggling Scottish firms during the coronavirus lockdown fell to its lowest level yet last week. 

Official figures showed less than £50m was disbursed by councils, and that around 16,000 applications remain outstanding.

The statistics showed £790.6m out of a £1.2bn pot had been paid out in 69,508 awards by May 26, an average of £11,373 for each successful application.

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However, at £48.7m, the sum paid out in the last seven days was the lowest yet seen.

In the preceding weeks it was £62.8m, £58.2m, £94.7m, £138.4m, £172.4m, £126.8m and £88.6m in the first week of the scheme. 

The data also showed councils have so far received 85,511 applications, or 16,003 more than have so far been awarded.

The proportion of applications resulting in a payment barely nudged up last week, increasing from 79.4 to 81.3 per cent. 

The figures cover the two business grant schemes operating in Scotland - a £10,000 grant open to firms in receipt of various rates reliefs, and a £25,000 grant available to retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value between £18,001 and £51,000.

Andrew McRae of the Federation of Small Businesses in Scotland said: “These grants really are a lifeline for many in business.

"While it is good to see money reaching firms – there’s still a backlog of applications that need to be processed.

"The Scottish Government and local government should set a deadline to process the outstanding requests for support.

“We were impressed with this week’s announcement from Ministers that they’re going to extend financial assistance to many independent enterprises currently excluded from help, following representations from FSB. This help can’t come soon enough for many local firms like market traders and new-start businesses in co-working spaces.”

The Scottish Conservatives warned the slow pace of payments could cost jobs.  

MSP Donald Cameron said: “We’re now more than two months into this crisis, and thousands of businesses are on the brink.

“The SNP needs to buck up its ideas and get these companies the support they deserve.

 “Failure to do so jeopardises thousands of jobs, which in turn would pile further pressure on the economy at a time when it’s already struggling.

“For businesses of all sizes there is now some light at the end of the tunnel, but that will be of no use unless they get the compensation they need from two months of enforced lockdown.

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“We know this is a public health crisis first and foremost, but getting it right economically is vitally important too.

“The SNP still has a number of questions to answer on that front.”

Scottish Labour’s Jackie Baillie said:  "The SNP government keeps defending its unfair funding cap on the basis that there's not enough money in the pot, but these excuses just won't wash. Week after week, the statistics show that vast sums of money - almost half a billion pounds - have been left unallocated by SNP ministers.

"It's time that the SNP puts its money where its mouth is, stands up for Scotland, lifts the cap [on multiple premises] and stops putting Scottish businesses at a competitive disadvantage."