Coronavirus Support for Businesses

Welcome to a special edition of our South and Vale Business Support newsletter!

It is important to stay connected during challenging times.

Start a conversation by asking 'Are you okay?' and check in with those around you.

For more information or support please visit:

www.ruok.org.au

www.oxfordshiremind.org.uk

www.time-to-change.org.uk/mental-health-and-stigma/help-and-support

South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are committed to supporting all local businesses. We are working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to provide clarification on support measures announced by UK Government, and provide feedback on specific issues raised by South and Vale based businesses. Below is a summary of the latest information.

The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19.

This includes a package of measures to support businesses including:

a statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs
a 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England
small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief
grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to support long-term viable businesses who may need to respond to cash-flow pressures by seeking additional finance
the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme

The Government will bring forward legislation to allow small- and medium-sized businesses and employers to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to COVID-19. The eligibility criteria for the scheme will be as follows:

this refund will cover up to 2 weeks’ SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because of COVID-19
employers with fewer than 250 employees will be eligible – the size of an employer will be determined by the number of people they employed as of 28 February 2020
employers will be able to reclaim expenditure for any employee who has claimed SSP(according to the new eligibility criteria) as a result of COVID-19
employers should maintain records of staff absences and payments of SSP, but employees will not need to provide a GP fit note
eligible period for the scheme will commence the day after the regulations on the extension of Statutory Sick Pay to those staying at home comes into force
the government will work with employers over the coming months to set up the repayment mechanism for employers as soon as possible.

Time to Pay (HMRC)

HMRC has set up a dedicated COVID-19 helpline to help those in need, and they may be able to agree a bespoke Time to Pay arrangement.

HMRC will also waive late payment penalties and interest where a business experiences administrative difficulty contacting HMRC or paying taxes due to COVID-19.

If you are concerned about being able to pay your tax due to COVID-19, call HMRC’s dedicated helpline on 0800 0159 559.

Insurance

Businesses that have cover for both pandemics and government-ordered closure should be covered, as the government and insurance industry confirmed on 17 March 2020 that advice to avoid pubs, theatres etc is sufficient to make a claim.

Insurance policies differ significantly, so businesses are encouraged to check the terms and conditions of their specific policy and contact their providers. Most businesses are unlikely to be covered, as standard business interruption insurance policies are dependent on damage to property and will exclude pandemics.

The Government's Business Support Helpline is available for businesses in England, of all sizes, who wish to speak directly to an advisor about the impact of Coronavirus. The number to call is 0300 456 3565.

Please note that we are now waiting for confirmation on how these measures will be administered – once we receive this, we will provide further updates.

We are aware that there has been a growing number of businesses who are struggling to retain their staff during this period of uncertainty.

We have created a page on our website to highlight current temporary roles which may be of interest to you if you are looking for work.

Government is also advising businesses to build their own resilience by reviewing their business continuity, developing an understanding on the potential impacts to their supply chains, customers or other factors critical to their operations.

This is a rapidly evolving situation, which we are monitoring carefully. The situation is kept under constant review and any change in guidance will be based on scientific evidence. The Government's approach is clinically led, based on the expert advice of the UK’s Chief Medical Officer for England, the NHS and Public Health England.

Businesses should check for daily updates at GOV.UK and subscribe to receive email alerts to ensure they are acting on the most up to date information.

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South Oxfordshire District Council | Vale of White Horse District Council

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