AN INVERKEITHING business owner who has been desperate for government support has said it's "shocking" that Fife Council had to be challenged before they finally gave a lifeline grant.

Jim McDonald, partner of Alba Digital Solutions, applied for the Discretionary Fund after the Scottish Government announced that the grant was open to micro businesses like his, who were being hit by restrictions and regulations introduced since October to control the spread of COVID-19.

However, Fife Council, who are distributing the fund, rejected the application initially on the basis that Jim received the Self Employment Income Support Grant.

This was contrary to Scottish Government advice which stated clearly that "businesses should not be precluded from support on the basis that they are in receipt of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) and/or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme".

Even when Jim pointed this out he was still met with resilience last week from the council, who stressed it was for "each local authority to decide on how other funds were to be considered" when assessing a Discretionary Fund application.

But when the Press challenged them on Tuesday morning they confirmed the policy had changed and within just a couple of hours, Alba Digital Solution was awarded a grant of £3,000.

Jim said: "It's shocking that they still had to be challenged when I clearly pointed out what the Scottish Government had advised.

"They had just put up their barriers and decided they were judge and jury.

"I will be reluctant to expand my business in Fife if that time ever comes because of the way we've been treated."

Although Alba Digital Solutions can trade online during restrictions, their income has fallen by about 90 per cent in the last year.

Since April 2020, the business has received around £10,000 in financial support and since October, Jim has personally received just over £1,000 from the self-employment grant.

It means that his income has been, on average, just £370 per month.

Earning so little, his wife Nathalie is chipping in with around £400/500 into the business each month just to keep the business afloat after earning around £900 a month from her full-time job.

Jim explained: "I know our one employee is on the job retention scheme but this is due to end in March, and without the £3,000 we were being put in a position where we might not have been able to continue with his employment.

"I know this was not solely our business that was dealing with this either when Fife Council refused to budge. Fife Council were sticking to their guns when it was clear to us that this is not what the Scottish Government were saying."

Service manager Pamela Stevenson confirmed that recent relaxations made by the Scottish Government to the eligibility criteria for Discretionary Funding had resulted in more businesses being able to apply for this funding if they were closed or restricted in the current Level 4 local protection regulations.

She added: "We put this into place on Monday morning and all applications for support are being considered as quickly as possible to get much-needed funds out to businesses in need."