The Association has revealed that its staff had provided vital help to allow the owner to access state funding.

The owner of the florist business - whose livelihood was plunged into chaos after the premises which she commercially rents from Thenue – was ordered by the government to close in late March.

It wiped out her income and placed a question mark over whether customers would come back once she reopened.

In a heartfelt thank you to the Association, she wrote: “I had to share this with you since Thenue have been so understanding of the situation with COVID-19.  I have finally received confirmation of my business grant payment. Hip hip hooray! Many thanks for all your help.”

Thenue’s team sprung into action and made the owner aware of grants available from both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to help self-employed businesses stave off collapse.

It proved a lifeline for her and the business grant removed the immediate worry over income.

Gary Naylor, Thenue’s head of community housing services, said: “This is a piece of welcome good news at a time of immense struggle for the self-employed who run their own businesses. Our brilliant financial inclusion and income maximisation teams are more used to helping individual tenants access benefits and dealing with housing queries.

“But on this occasion, our helping hand has reached out to someone who is self-employed. The result is fantastic and the money this business owner is receiving will undoubtedly replace some of the lost income from her business closure.”

The good news from Thenue comes after the UK Government announced that it will offer a second grant to qualifying self-employed people whose businesses have been adversely affected by the pandemic. This will be paid in August.

It is in addition to the first grant of up to £7,500 which is currently being paid to the self-employed.

The second and final grant will be worth 70% of average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering a further 3 months’ worth of profits and capped at £6570 in total. Applications will open in August. Applications for the first self-employed grant close on July 13.

• Read all of our articles relating to COVID-19 here.