Loan scheme extended to £200m

The maximum loan size available under the scheme will be increased from £50 million to £200 million to help ensure those large firms which do not qualify for the Bank of England’s COVID Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) have enough finance to meet cash-flow needs during the outbreak, the government has said. 

The expanded loans, which have been introduced following discussions with lenders and business groups, will be available from 26 May.

“We’re determined to support businesses of all sizes throughout this crisis, and our loans and guarantees have already provided over £32 billion to thousands of firms,” said John Glen, the economic secretary to the Treasury.

“Today we’re increasing the maximum loan to £200 million to make sure companies get the help they need.”

Companies borrowing more than £50 million through CLBILS will be subject to restrictions on dividend payments, senior pay and share buy-backs during the period of the loan, including a ban on dividend payments and cash bonuses, except where they were previously agreed.

According to the government, these restrictions will also apply to CCFF participants that wish to borrow money beyond 12 months, to ensure that the money is used to keep the company going through the crisis. The bank is also due to publish a list of companies who are benefiting under the CCFF on 4 June.

To date, businesses have benefited from over £32 billion in loans and guarantees to support their cash flow during the crisis.

This includes 268,000 Bounce Back Loans worth £8.3 billion, 36,000 loans worth over £6 billion through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and £359 million through the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme, alongside £18.7 billion through the CCFF.