Coronavirus Support Update - 3rd March
Today’s budget announced additional support to businesses coping with Covid.
This included an extension to the Job Retention Scheme, further rounds of Self Employed Income Support Scheme, extensions to Business Rates holidays and a new Loan Scheme.
Job retention scheme
The Job Retention Scheme has been extended to end of Sept 2021. The scheme continues as it is currently set up until 30th June before tapering off between July and end of Sept.
The levels of support between now and end of Sept are set out below:
However Flexible Furlough continues.
Eligibility is also changing.
Until 30th April the scheme is open to employees who were employed on 30th Oct 2020 as long as you made a PAYE RTI submission to HMRC at some point between 20th Mar and 30th Oct 2020.
For periods after April, you can claim for employees who were employed before 2nd March 2021 as long as an RTI submission was made between 20th Mar 2020 and 2nd March 2021.
Self Employed Income Support Scheme
A fourth and fifth rounds of the scheme to support the Self Employed was announced.
Eligibility requires:
You a Sole Trader or Member of a Partnership
Trading Profits were not more than £50k and at least equal to non-trading income
You have traded in 2019-20 and 2020-21
You have submitted your Self Assessment by 2nd Mar 2021
You are currently trading and impacted by Covid or prevented from trading by Covid
You intend to continue trading
The Grant provides 80% of 3 months average trading profits, capped at £7,500.
The Grant will be open from late April until 31st May through your own Government Gateway.
The fifth round of the grant will open from late July and more details will follow but will also be worth 80% of average trading profits capped at £7,500. However this time it will be restricted to those with turnover reduction of 30% or more.
Business Rates relief
The existing Business Rates relief has been extended for eligible businesses until 30th June.
Eligible business are defined as:
Shops
Restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs
Cinemas and live music venues
Assembly or leisure properties Eg Sports Clubs, Gyms etc
Hospitality venues such Eg Hotels, Guest Houses
Recovery Loan Scheme
CBILS and Bounce Back Loan Schemes close at the end of March, to be replaced by a Recovery Loan Scheme.
The new scheme will guarantee loans 80% of eligible loans between £25k and £10million. Invoice and asset finance is also offered between £1k and £10million per business.
The eligibility criteria are:
Viable businesses
Impacted by Covid
Any legitimate business purpose including growth and investment
Businesses based in the UK
There is no exclusion for businesses that have already received support through Bounce Back or CBILS.
There will be no personal guarantees required for loans up to £250,000.
The scheme opens 6th April and closes 31st December.
There is some concern whether banks will facilitate the lending given they remain exposed to default on 20% of the loan.
Restart Grant
The Chancellor announced Restart Grants to businesses closed during the lockdown.
Shops can apply for up to £6k to reopen on 12th April whilst leisure and hospitality businesses could get £18k.
The grant is administered by local councils.
Hospitality VAT rate
The current 5% VAT rate for hospitality has now been extended beyond 1st April to 30th Sept.
After 30th Sept the rate will move to 12.5% until 30th March 2021 before reverting to 20% in April 2022.
Apprenticeships
The Chancellor has increased the incentive to hire new apprenticeships to £3k.
This will apply to employers who apply between 1st Apr and 3oth Sept.
Interestingly extra funding will be released from July 2021 to enable apprentices to work across different employers. This raises the possibility of employers clubbing together to employ a marketing apprentice for example.