Coronavirus (COVID-19) Businesses and Employers Bulletin - 12 November 2020
12 November 2020
Support Grants for businesses
in England
- Coronavirus grant due to national
restrictions (for closed businesses): The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG
(Closed) Addendum) supports businesses in England that have been required
to close due to the national restrictions between 5 November and 2
December 2020. Eligible businesses may be entitled to a cash grant from
their local council for each 28-day period under national restrictions. To
check your eligibility and for more information, click here.
- Coronavirus Local Restrictions Support Grant
(for closed businesses): Businesses in
England that were open as usual and were then required to close due
to local restrictions (local COVID alert level: Very High) may be eligible
for the local restrictions support grant. Eligible businesses
are entitled to a cash grant from their local council for each 14-day
period they are closed. To check your eligibility and for more
information, click here.
- Check if you're eligible for the coronavirus
Local Restrictions Support Grant (for open businesses): The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG (Open))
supports businesses that have been severely impacted due to temporary
local restrictions. Businesses that have not had to close but which
have been severely impacted due to local restrictions (Local COVID alert
levels: High or Very High) may be eligible for LRSG (Open).
Eligible businesses may be entitled to a cash grant from their local
council for each 28-day period under local restrictions. To check your
eligibility and for more information, click here.
- Check if you're eligible for the coronavirus
Additional Restrictions Grant: The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) supports
businesses that are not covered by other grant schemes or where additional
funding is needed. The scheme provides local councils with grant
funding to support closed businesses that do not directly pay business
rates as well as businesses that do not have to close but which are
impacted. In addition, larger grants can be given than those made through
LRSG (Closed). To check your eligibility and for more information,
click here.
New Guidance
Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan: The
Bounce Back Loan Scheme enables smaller businesses to access finance more
quickly during the coronavirus outbreak. New options are available to top up
existing loans, extend the loan period, make interest-only repayments, or pause
repayments.
The
scheme is open to applications until 31 January 2021. If you already have a
Bounce Back Loan but borrowed less than you were entitled to, you can top up
your existing loan to your maximum amount. You must request the top-up by 31
January 2021. For more information about the scheme click here.
Claiming Statutory Sick Pay paid to employees due to
Coronavirus: Find out if you can use the Coronavirus
Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme to claim back employees’ coronavirus-related
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The online service to claim back SSP is now
available. For more information on who can use the scheme, click here.
Restaurants, pubs and cafes will get automatic freedoms to
provide takeaway services for another year. This
was due to end on 23 March 2021 but will now be extended by another year. To
know more about the automatic freedoms to provide takeaway services for another
year, click here
The UK Transition: time is
running out
With
just 50 days to go until the UK’s new start, attend one of our webinars to help
prepare your business.
- Using personal data from 1 January 2021 –
11am, Wednesday 18 November, and
the on demand – register here.
- Business travel and and investing or establishing in the EU
- 11am, Wednesday 25 November, and then on demand - register here.
Watch other sector specific webinars on demand here and register
for all transition webinars here.
Updated Guidance
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Guidance has been
updated with details of how to claim for periods after 1 November 2020. 30
November 2020 is the last day employers can submit or change claims for periods
ending on or before 31 October 2020. Eligibility criteria has
been made clearer for employees who are made redundant on or after 23 September
2020 and you have re-employed and employees that have a fixed term contract
that expired after 23 September. The dates relating to TUPE eligibility have
also been corrected.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - Company directors with
an annual pay period: Guidance for company directors
with an annual pay period has been updated here
Companies House: You
can now appeal a late filing penalty online here. For the
latest Companies House information, click here
Businesses in Scotland: Information
for Scottish businesses has been updated to reflect updates to UK government
business support from 5 November. For more information, click here.
Travel
Freight exemption removed for UK haulage drivers
arriving from Denmark: UK haulage drivers arriving from
Denmark are now required to self-isolate on entry to England. All
non-British national or resident travellers who had been in or
through Denmark in the last 14 days will now be denied entry upon
arrival. Non-UK resident HGV drivers have now been added to those
restrictions, while all passenger vessels and accompanied freight from Denmark
will be halted. For more information, click here.
