In Essex alone, an FSB survey revealed a surplus of nearly £50m in unclaimed money for the scheme, which offers incremental rate relief for businesses with a rateable value below £15,000 in England and Wales (or below £21,500 in London).

"There are hundreds of millions of pounds to be claimed," a spokesperson told PrintWeek.

"There are all these businesses that pay enormous sums of money to town halls ... but there's no campaign to tell people about [the SBRS]."

The FSB said there are around 1.3m businesses in England and Wales that qualify for the scheme and while questions have been asked in Parliament over the issue, the body has taken matters into its own hands, delivering a letter to the Prime Minister urging something be done.

"What we want is some kind of government initiative or campaign, or if they don't want to spend money on that then it should just be paid out automatically. The money is there," said the spokesperson.

The FSB is also calling for the reintroduction of a measure halving the rates for small businesses on empty premises.

FSB national chairman John Wright said: "Business rate relief is money which small businesses are entitled to claim.

"These two changes will give a much needed boost to the economy and help businesses get back on track."

For more information on the SBRS, visit the government's Business Link website.