BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall responds to changes to the government’s Kickstart scheme, including removing the 30 job threshold for employers.
For the latest information and advice, UK employers and business owners should visit the official guidance for employers and businesses. Businesses should check for daily updates and subscribe to receive email alerts to ensure they are acting on the most up to date information.
There may be some variations to the below measures announced among devolved nations. Further information on support for businesses in the devolved nations can be found:
If you have any queries please contact:
On 4 January, the Prime Minister announced a national lockdown in England. Further guidance and information available here.
Leaving home
You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:
Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open only for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. All other children will learn remotely until February half term. Early Years settings remain open.
Higher Education provision will remain online until mid February for all except future critical worker courses.
If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.
If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work
Meeting others
Please note that there are different restrictions in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
A full range of business support measures are available to UK businesses and employees. This page helps businesses find out how to access support schemes, who is eligible and how to apply.
The UK government's Coronavirus business support hub brings together key information for business.
The government has updated the guidance for businesses on working safely during Coronavirus. In consultation with industry, this guidance has been produced to help ensure workplaces are as safe as possible. There are 8 guides which cover a range of different types of work. Many businesses operate more than one type of workplace, such as an office, factory and fleet of vehicles. You may need to use more than one of these guides as you think through what you need to do to keep people safe.
Further guidance for employers and businesses including:
Once you have carried out a risk assessment you should display this notice in your workplace to show that you have complied with the guidance on managing the risk of Coronavirus.
Kickstart Scheme
Chambers of Commerce across England, Scotland and Wales are authorised gateways to the Kickstart scheme.
Chambers can help businesses to apply for a grant and provide a wide range of support for the employer and young person to ensure the Kickstart placement is a success.
Review the details and contact your local Chamber for more information.
Further and Higher Education
Higher education restructuring regime
Apprenticeships
Advice for visa customers who need to apply for a passport
The Skills Toolkit
The Skills Toolkit is a free online learning platform to boost workplace skills during the Coronavirus outbreak and beyond.
If you live in England, you cannot travel overseas or within the UK, unless for work, education or other legally permitted reasons. For details, and for information on restrictions in other parts of the UK, check:
As well as following national restrictions, you must not travel if you have been advised that you must self isolate by the NHS test and trace service:
You should not travel if you:
If anyone in your household or support bubble, where relevant, has symptoms of coronavirus you should self-isolate.
Face coverings must be worn in additional enclosed public spaces in England. In England you must wear a face covering by law in the following settings:
• | public transport |
• | indoor transport hubs |
• | shops and supermarkets |
• | indoor shopping centres |
• | banks, building societies, and post offices. |
Transport operators can deny access to their public transport services if a passenger is not wearing a face covering, or direct them to wear one or leave a service if they are not wearing a face covering.
Face coverings are not mandatory for anyone under the age of 11 or those with disabilities or certain health conditions. Review the list of face covering exemptions and share with your members. See further guidance and details of the legislation from the College of Policing.
Passengers using public transport are required to wear a face covering across all public transport. This applies to trains, buses, trams, ferries and planes.
‘Bounce back’ plan for agriculture, food and drink industry launched
Trade Credit Insurance backed by £10 billion guarantee
Force Majeure Certificates
These are certificates attesting the existence of force majeure circumstances i.e. circumstances beyond the control of the applicant such as fire, flood, industrial disputes, or in present circumstances, a pandemic. Please note that we can only certify factual details that can be evidenced. We cannot comment as to whether or not Force Majeure applies or argue such claims on behalf of the applicant. It is the responsibility of the applicant to claim Force Majeure and the issuing body’s role is to provide a certificate in support of such claim.
Delaying import duty payments as a result of Coronavirus
HMRC has released guidance on how to request an extension to the payment period for import duty/import VAT payments. Deferment is not automatic and requires immediate action.
Duty deferment account holders - Duty deferment account holders who are experiencing severe financial difficulty as a result of Coronavirus and who are unable to make payment of deferred customs duties and import VAT due on 15 April 2020 can contact HMRC for approval to enter into an extended period to make full or partial payment, without having their guarantee called upon or their deferment account suspended. The account holder should contact the Duty Deferment Office 03000 594243 or by email [email protected] or the Coronavirus helpline on 0800 024 1222. Account holders will be asked to provide an explanation of how Coronavirus has impacted their business finances and cash flow.
Duty Deferment account holders will be able to use their accounts during the extended payment period agreed unless they default on a subsequent payment in that period, in which case HMRC may consider suspending their account. The outstanding payment will not affect their duty deferment limit so they will not need to increase their guarantee to cover the outstanding payment. Where HMRC agree to an extended payment period, interest will not be charged on the outstanding payments provided they are paid in full by the agreed date.
Duty/import VAT payments not covered by a duty deferment account - Registered Importers who pay cash or an equivalent and are facing severe financial difficulties as a direct result of Coronavirus can contact HMRC to request an extension to the payment deadline at the time the payment is due. They will be asked to provide an explanation of how Coronavirus has impacted on their business finances. HMRC will consider this request and decide whether or not to agree an additional time to pay. The decision will be taken on a case-by-case basis and could be refused.
If the request is approved the conditions, including the length of time offered, will depend upon the importer’s individual circumstances and may require the holding of a guarantee for the period of the time extension. We cannot offer this facility to non-registered importers. For further information, please contact the Customs Debt Policy inbox.
Maintaining the flow of trade at the Border
In order to maintain the flow of trade at the border during the current COVID-19 outbreak, Border Control Posts (BCP) may temporarily accept scanned or electronic copies of health certification from competent authorities or operators in some specific scenarios/circumstances in relation to:
Any measures taken are only for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak. Please refer to gov.uk for wider COVID-19 guidance or speak directly to the relevant BCP for further clarification and if you have questions about a particular import.
Coronavirus: Export Controls and Licences
In this 1-hour webinar, representatives from the Institute of Export & International Trade’s Export Control Profession and the Department for International Trade’s Export Control Joint Unit cover:
BCC Director General Dr Adam Marshall responds to changes to the government’s Kickstart scheme, including removing the 30 job threshold for employers.
BCC Director General Adam Marshall comments on the government’s Skills for Jobs White Paper.
BCC Head of Economics Suren Thiru comments on GDP figures for November 2020 published today by the ONS.
The BCC is calling on the Government to provide more financial support to businesses across the UK facing a bleak future from the debilitating squeeze of coronavirus restrictions.