The lockdown’s damage to the Manx economy has become clearer now that government figures of who has asked for help from the state have been released.

In just 11 days, there were more than 2,000 applications for the Manx Earnings Replacement Allowance (MERA), Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan has revealed.

MERA provides an income of £200 a week to people who have either been laid off or made redundant from their employment, or have lost their self-employed work.

A total of 742 have been approved and will have received their payments by the end of next week at the latest. Some have already received them.

Others will have to wait for at least two weeks to be notified of the outcome of their claim to MERA.

Social security staff are continuing to receive applications at a rate of 100 a day.

Meanwhile, the Coronavirus Salary Support Scheme went live at midday on Thursday and, by midday on Sunday, the government had received 566 applications.

The first payments should be made by the end of the week to help viable businesses that have been affected retain their staff. Under the scheme the government gives a flat rate contribution of £280 per week for every full time equivalent staff member (pro-rated for part time employees).

It will be backdated till March’s payroll.

More than 60 government staff are working exclusively on the Salary Support Scheme.

The Coronavirus Business Support Scheme has been running for a number of weeks now and was set up to provide a £3,000 grant to a number of individuals and companies.

It has had more than 3,000 inquiries with over 2,400 applications. As of Sunday, 1,000 applicants have been paid.

However, Mr Cannan added: ’Processing these grants has taken longer than we had hoped or anticipated. I would like to apologise to those of you who have submitted an application and have not yet had a response.

’We are working as fast as we can - with our colleagues in the Department for Enterprise - to improve the processing speed and get these much-needed payments out.’

Most eligible businesses must have fewer than 100 employees. The areas covered are tourist accommodation; catering and entertainment; travel and tour operators, logistics, small retail (fewer than 26 staff); construction (including horticulture, architects, quantity surveyors and painters/decorators) and education (includes nurseries and childcare providers).

A number of requests have been refused under the Business Support Scheme.

The most common reason for rejection has been a company’s or an individual’s compliance with tax and National Insurance requirements.

Mr Cannan said: ’Let me be clear; if you have operated your business in a properly structured manner and paid your share of National Insurance contributions you should find that your route to accessing funds is straightforward.

’If you have opted not to pay National Insurance or have failed to register your company in the proper manner with the authorities, then matters become more complicated.

’Even though this is a national emergency, it is not a free for all.’

The government has agreed with island banks to support up to £60m of lending on the island by underwriting 80% of any loans extended to businesses in need. So far there have been 33 applications for this scheme with nine approved.

However, he added: ’Businesses should also be carefully considering how they might operate in the future.

’There is much discussion taking place of what the future might look like - now is the time for you to consider how you might change or alter your business for the better.’

Government help in wages and business support won’t come cheap.

The estimated direct cost of the interventions may be up to £100m in the next three months.

On top of that, as fewer people are working and spending, there is likely to be a decline in tax and VAT receipts.

Now the Council of Ministers is going to ask Tynwald to relax the rules on spending and allow the government to borrow money for revenue purposes.

In the past, the government has borrowed for capital projects - new buildings and so on - and it would be a very unusual step to borrow to pay the day-to-day bills.