Milton Keynes has benefited from more than £575 million worth of support in grants and loans throughout the coronavirus pandemic, new figures have revealed.
And the Government has also supported 51,600 people who had their jobs protected by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) or Furlough as it is better known. The £575m figure does not include the Furlough money spent.
Almost £235 million has been provided to businesses as part of the Bounce Back Loans scheme, with 7,692 loans in total, while 472 loans as part of the The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme supported local businesses with over £120 million.
8,400 self-employed people took advantage of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme which spent £21 million in Milton Keynes.
£4.5 million has been distributed in two different tranches of the Culture Recovery Fund to local venues such as the Craufurd Arms, Bletchley Park, MK Museum and more, while 399,000 meals beneffited from the Eat Out To Help Out scheme last August saving MK restaurants more than £2 million.
£77 million worth of rates relief has been provided to Milton Keynes businesses and £40.5m has been spent on the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Lesiure Grants Fund.
Further funding has come in over £20m worth of direct support for Milton Keynes Council to continue to deliver their services, funding for local Test and Trace support, an infection control fund for care homes, support for the clinically extremely vulnerable, emergency rough sleeping funding, re-opening High Streets Safely grants, funding for essential food and supplies for vulnerable people, self isolation grants, extra domestic abuse services funding, a council tax hardship fund and Restart Grants for businesses.
Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, said: "The Government has provided unprecedented levels of financial support for Milton Keynes throughout the pandemic and this will help us bounce back as quickly as possible.
"I've heard from so many businesses who have shared their specific appreciation for the Furlough scheme which has protected tens of thousands of jobs in MK.
"With the final step of the roadmap just days away I'm looking forward to seeing our businesses, communities, charities and everybody else make a strong recovery from the pandemic."