BCC Director General Adam Marshall comments on the Chancellor’s announcement of further support for businesses and jobs as Coronavirus restrictions increase.
For further information and clarification, view the Coronavirus FAQ's here.
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is delivering a programme of webinars on the measures to support employers and self-employed individuals through this period of disruption caused by Coronavirus. Businesses can register to attend a free webinar to learn more about the support available to help them deal with the economic impacts of Coronavirus.
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:
VAT Deferral ‘New Payment Scheme’ - Businesses that deferred VAT due in March to June 2020 will be given more breathing space through the New Payment Scheme, which gives them the option to pay back in smaller instalments. Rather than paying a lump sum in full at the end March next year, they will be able to make 11 smaller interest-free payments during the 2021-22 financial year. All businesses that took advantage of the VAT deferral can use the new payment scheme. Businesses will need to opt-in, but all are eligible. For the self-employed, they will be able to benefit from a separate additional 12-month extension from HMRC on the “Time to Pay” self-service facility, meaning payments deferred from July 2020, and those due in January 2021, will now not need to be paid until January 2022.
Temporary VAT reduced rate for hospitality and tourism extended - the temporary reduced rate of VAT (5%) has been extended from 12 January to 31 March 2021. This will continue to apply to supplies of food and non-alcoholic drinks from restaurants, pubs, bars, cafés and similar premises, supplies of accommodation and admission to attractions across the UK.
Time to Pay upscaled - a dedicated helpline has been set up to help businesses and self-employed individuals in financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities to receive support with their tax affairs. Through this, businesses may be able to agree a bespoke Time to Pay arrangement.
Bounce Back Loans scheme (BBLS) - The scheme will offer loans from £2,000 up to 25% of a business’ turnover or £50,000, whichever is lower. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee for the loan and pay any fees and interest for the first 12 months. The government has then set the interest rate for this facility at 2.5% per annum for subsequent years. No repayments will be due during the first 12 months. A new ‘Pay as You Grow’ flexible repayment system will provide flexibility for firms repaying a Bounce Back Loan. This includes extending the length of the loan from six years to ten, which will cut monthly repayments by nearly half. Interest-only periods of up to six months and payment holidays will also be available to businesses. BBLS is open for applications until 30th November 2020, with lenders able to process applications until the end of 2020.
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) - This scheme delivered by the British Business Bank, will enable small and medium sized businesses to apply for a loan, up to £5m, with the government providing a guarantee of 80% on each loan and with no interest due for the first twelve months. Personal guarantees of any form cannot be taken under the scheme for any facilities below £250k. CBILS supports a wide range of business finance products, including term loans, overdrafts, invoice finance and asset finance facilities. The scheme will be delivered through commercial lenders. CBILS lenders can extend the term of a loan up to ten years, providing additional flexibility for businesses who may otherwise be unable to repay their loans. CBILS is open for applications until 30th November 2020, with lenders able to process applications until the end of 2020.
Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) -Government will provide a guarantee of 80% to enable banks to make loans to firms with turnover of more than £45 million of up to £200 million. Companies borrowing more than £50m through CLBILS will be subject to restrictions on dividend payments, senior pay and share buy-backs during the period of the loan. The maximum size for invoice finance and asset finance facilities under the scheme is £50m. Facilities will be available from 3 months up to 3 years and will be offered at commercial rates of interest. The scheme will be delivered through commercial lenders. CLBILS is open for applications until 30th November 2020, with lenders able to process applications until the end of 2020.
Future fund - a new Future Fund to support the UK’s innovative businesses currently affected by Coronavirus. These businesses have been unable to access other government business support programmes, such as CBILS, because they are either pre-revenue or pre-profit and typically rely on equity investment. The scheme will deliver an initial commitment of £250m of new government funding which will be unlocked by private investment on a match funded basis. The scheme is open for applications until 30th November 2020, with lenders able to process applications until the end of 2020.
Support to self employed individuals
Other loans and grants
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) - Government grants will cover 80% of the salary of retained workers, up to a total of £2,500 a month. The scheme, open to any employer in the country, will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1 March. This scheme is open for claim submissions and will remain open until the end of October although the rules will begin to change from 1 July.
From 1 July 2020, businesses will be given the flexibility to bring furloughed employees back to work part time. This is a month earlier than previously announced to help support people back to work.
From August 2020, the level of UK government grant provided through the CJRS will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work.
On 9 June, HM Treasury announced that people on paternity and maternity leave who return to work in the coming months will be eligible for the furlough scheme even after 10 June cut-off date
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will close on 31 October 2020. Review the key dates below and promote using the resources from HM Government.
See more information on the CRJS in our FAQs on UK government support measures section.
Download a template if you're claiming for 100 or more employees through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Job Support Scheme - Under the scheme, the company will continue to pay its employee for time worked, but the burden of hours not worked will be split between the employer and the Government (through wage support) and the employee (through a wage reduction).Employees cannot be made redundant or put on notice of redundancy during the period within which their employer is claiming the grant for that employee.The Government will pay a third of hours not worked up to a cap of £697.92 a month, with the employer also contributing a third. This will ensure employees earn a minimum of 77% of their normal wages(where the Government contribution has not been capped). Employers using thescheme will also be able to claim the Job Retention Bonus if they meet the eligibility criteria. The scheme will be open from 1 November 2020 to the end of April 2021.
Job Retention Bonus - a £1,000 one-off taxable payment to the employer, for each eligible employee that you furloughed and kept continuously employed until 31 January 2021. Businesses will be able to claim the bonus between 15 February 2021 and 31 March 2021. You do not have to pay this money to your employee.
SSP will be temporarily available to those who are advised to self-isolate and people caring for those within the same household who display Coronavirus symptoms and have been told to self-isolate. A new style Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit will be available to those that are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay. For businesses with fewer than 250 employees, the cost of providing 14 days of statutory sick pay per employee will be refunded by the UK government in full. This will provide 2 million businesses with up to £2billion to cover the costs of large-scale sick leave.
From 26 May, employers across the UK with fewer than 250 employees can claim for Coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Tax agents are also able to make claims on their behalf. The repayment will cover up to two weeks of the applicable rate of SSP. See more information on eligibility and how to make a claim here.
The UK government is temporarily increasing the Business Rates discount to all businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England to 100% for 2020-21, irrespective of rateable value.
Job Retention Bonus - a £1,000 one-off taxable payment to the employer, for each eligible employee that you furloughed and kept continuously employed until 31 January 2021. Businesses will be able to claim the bonus between 15 February 2021 and 31 March 2021. You do not have to pay this money to your employee.
The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month. Applications are now open. Check if you are eligible for the scheme here.
On 29 May 2020, SEISS was extended. A copy of the updated factsheet is available here. Those eligible will be able to claim a second and final grant in August. The grant will be worth 70 percent of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months’ worth of profits, and capped at £6,570 in total.
On 24 September 2020, SEISS grant was extended further from November 2020 to April 2021. The extension will be in the form of two taxable grants. The first grant will cover a three-month period from the start of November until the end of January. This initial grant will cover 20%of average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £1,875 in total. The second grant will cover a three-month period from the start of February until the end of April. The government will review the level of the second grant and set this in due course.
Commercial tenants who cannot pay their rent because of coronavirus will be protected from eviction. This will mean that until the end of 2020 no business will be forced out of their premises if they miss a payment. Commercial tenants will still be liable for the rent after this period.
The UK government has published a list of the rules that have been temporarily relaxed to make it easier for businesses to continue working through the disruption caused by Coronavirus.
Measures from the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act extended, including allowing firms to hold virtual AGMs until 30 December 2020 and statutory demands and winding-up petitions restricted until 31 December 2020.
Kickstart Scheme – The government will introduce a new Kickstart Scheme in Great Britain, a £2 billion fund to create hundreds of thousands of high quality 6-month work placements aimed at those aged 16-24 who are on Universal Credit and are deemed to be at risk of long-term unemployment. Funding available for each job will cover 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions.
Payments for employers who hire new apprentices – The government will introduce a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25 and over, from 1st August 2020 to 31st January 2021. These payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 payment the government already provides for new 16-18 year-old apprentices, and those aged under 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan – where that applies.
New Employer Incentives for Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Kickstarter
Below is the Department for Education/Education and Skills Funding Agency webinar briefing for chambers, explaining the new employer incentives for apprenticeships, traineeships and kickstarter.
If you would like to host a local webinar for your members, please contact Nichola Akers at the National Apprenticeship Service at [email protected]
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