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Government Briefing and Additional Updates and Guidance: 8th July 2020

BUSINESS BRIEFING FROM GOVERNMENT’S COVID-19 PRESS CONFERENCE

Summary of measures announced by the Chancellor yesterday include:

  • A jobs retention bonus of £1,000, per employee, for businesses bringing back employees from furlough and continuously employing them from November until January
  • VAT cut from 20% to 5% for the hospitality and tourism sectors from 15 July to 12 January
  • People can get 50% off vouchers in August as part of the ‘Eating Out to Help Out’ scheme, aimed at getting people back in pubs, cafes and restaurants
  • The kickstart scheme – grant funding for employers to create new jobs for any 16 to 24-year-old at risk of long-term unemployment, with government paying their wages, plus overheads, for the first six months. The first kickstarters will be in their new jobs this autumn, and there will be no cap on the number of places available
  • For the next six months, businesses will be paid up to £2,000 per new apprentice they take on
  • Investing an additional £1billion in the Department of Work and Pensions to support people back into work
  • From September, a £2bn green homes grant for homeowners and landlords to carry out works to make homes more energy efficient
  • £1bn to improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings
  • £50m fund to pilot the decarbonisation of social housing
  • Stamp duty threshold increasing to £500,000

For the full story please click on this link: Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs to help the UK’s recovery

Maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace

Businesses in certain sectors should collect details and maintain records of staff, customers and visitors on their premises to support NHS Test and Trace. There is a higher risk of transmitting COVID-19 in premises where customers and visitors spend a longer time in one place and potentially come into close contact with other people outside of their household. To manage this risk, establishments in the following sectors, whether indoor or outdoor venues or mobile settings, should collect details and maintain records of staff, customers and visitors:

  • hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés;
  • tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks;
  • close contact services, including hairdressers, barbershops and tailors;
  • facilities provided by local authorities, including town halls and civic centres for events, community centres, libraries and children’s centres;
  • places of worship, including use for events and other community activities.

More information and guidance on the information to collect; how records should be maintained; and when information should be shared with NHS Test and Trace, is available here.

ADDITIONAL UPDATES AND GUIDANCE

Scheme end: Deferral of VAT payments due to coronavirus
The VAT payments deferral scheme ended on 30 June 2020 as previously set out. More information is available here.

HM Treasury extends tax cut to PPE costs
The temporary scrapping of VAT on PPE has been extended until the end of October. More here.

Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
Guidance on the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has been updated with new examples for how a business could be adversely affected by coronavirus and with information on how different circumstances affect the scheme.

Mandatory MOT testing to be reintroduced from 1 August
Find out more here.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: video with details on flexible furloughing
Watch a video on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme with information on flexible furloughing and watch other videos about the support available to help deal with the economic impact of coronavirus. Find out more here.

Advice for food businesses in response to the coronavirus outbreak
Updated guidance includes a new section on prevention of infection and a revised section on management of outbreaks including contact details for health protection teams. Find out more here.

Additional guidance for publicans destroying spoilt beer
Additional guidance has been added for publicans destroying spoilt beer. Find out more here.

Exporting PPE
Guidance has been updated as you no longer need to apply for an export licence to export personal protective equipment (PPE). Find out more here.

Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020
The measures introduced by the Act will relieve the burden on businesses during the coronavirus outbreak and allow them to focus all their efforts on continuing to operate. Find out more here.

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS DURING COVID-19

Government Coronavirus Business Support Hub

You can go here to find out all the latest information about what funding and support is available for your business, managing your business during coronavirus and business closures. There is also a new ‘support finder’ tool to help businesses easily determine what financial support is available to them during the coronavirus pandemic through a quick and simple online questionnaire. You can find out more about the tool here.

Government Coronavirus Business Support WhatsApp

The government has also launched a Coronavirus Information Service on WhatsApp which is now updated with business support advice. Text ‘hi’ to 07860064422 via WhatsApp and there are business support measures highlighted under option 5 with the relevant links to GOV.UK pages.

Government business support helpline

Contact the government’s business support helpline for free advice

Phone: FREEPHONE 0800 998 1098 Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm

Thank you to White Label Creative who have been invaluable in passing on relevant information to us on a daily basis and Croydon Council Economic Development Team – we hope that in re-circulating the salient points, we can all work together to help as many businesses as possible.

 

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