This page will assist employers and businesses through the COVID-19 impact, providing advice on business support, access to finance and other uesful information.

Guidance for employees, employers and businesses

This guidance will assist employers, businesses and their staff in addressing coronavirus (COVID-19). The page will be regularly updated in line with the changing situation. The guidance will assist employers and businesses in providing advice to their staff on COVID-19, as well as providing details of support available to businesses.

See more on GOV.UK website

HMRC Business Support Helpline – 0800 024 1222

HMRC have opened a dedicated helpline for businesses and the self-employed to answer queries or concerns regarding tax payments and finding solutions including:

• agreeing an instalment arrangement
• suspending debt collection proceedings
• cancelling penalties and interest where you have administrative difficulties contacting or paying HMRC immediately

Coronavirus WhatsApp Information Service

The Govt has started a Whatsapp information service get provide official, trustworthy and timely information and advice about coronavirus out to as many people as possible. It will provide information on topics such as coronavirus prevention and symptoms, the latest number of cases in the UK, advice on staying at home, travel advice and myth busting via a chatbot.

To use this free service, simply add 07860 064422 in your phone contacts and then message the word ‘hi’ in a WhatsApp message to get started.

Find out more on GOV.UK website 

Job Retention Scheme

What has been announced for the Job Retention Scheme:

• Any large or small employer can apply to put workers on temporary leave or “furloughed” status. The government will then pay them cash grants of 80 per cent of their wages up to a cap of £2,500, providing they keep the worker employed.
• They will receive the grant from HMRC. All UK organisations can self-certify that it has furloughed employees. The scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to March 1. All UK-wide employers with a PAYE scheme will be eligible, including the public sector, local authorities and charities.
• The scheme will be open initially for at least 3 months. But we will extend it for longer if necessary. There is no limit on the amount of funding available for the scheme.
• We expect the first grants to be paid within weeks. HMRC are working night and day to get the scheme up and running and we’re aiming to get it done before the end of April. Existing systems are not set up to facilitate payments to employers.
• The Government will cover employer National Insurance and pension contributions of furloughed workers – on top of 80% of salary.
• Those furloughed can volunteer for the NHS without risking their pay.
• Businesses furloughing staff during the coronavirus outbreak will receive further financial support – with the costs of employer National Insurance and pension contributions being covered by the Government. Under the scheme, employers can claim a grant covering 80% of the wages for a furloughed employee, subject to a cap of £2,500 a month. 

See more on the Job Retention Scheme page.

Business Support

To ensure you have up to date access to COVID-19 business support, HM Government have set up a new website which hosts all the details of the schemes the Chancellor has announced. 

A full range of business support measures have been made available to UK businesses and employees. This page helps businesses find out how to access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply.

See more on HM Government Business Support website.

Taxable expenses if employee works from home due to COVID-19

Find out what equipment, services or supplies are taxable if your employees are working from home due to coronavirus (COVID-19).

Find out more on GOV.UK website

Access to financial support document

The HM Treasury has prepared a document to guide businesses on how to access government financial support if you or your business has been affected by COVID-19.

This document highlights key areas of financial support, such as:

• If you're a small or medium-sized business, you may be entitled to reclaim the costs of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for sickness absence due to COVID-19.
• Some businesses will be eligible for a Business Rates holiday for 1 year from 1 April 2020.
• If your business is eligible for small business rate relief or rural rate relief, you're entitled to a one-off cash grant of £10,000.
• If your business is facing cash flow issues as a result of COIVD-19, there's support available from the British Business Bank and Bank of England.
• If you're self-employed or own a business and you're concerned about not being able to pay your tax bills because of COVID-19, you may be eligible for support through Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Time to Pay service.

You can view the document here.

For more guidance on UK businesses trading internationally during COVID-19, visit the GOV.UK website.

Measures to support public services, people and businesses

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 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
• deferring VAT and Income Tax payments
• a Statutory Sick Pay relief package for SMEs
• a 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery 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 offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank
• a new lending facility from the Bank of England to help support liquidity among larger firms, helping them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans
• the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme

Find out more on the GOV.UK website.

Changes to Insolvency and Company Rules

Over the weekend BEIS minister, Alok Sharma, announced that the Government would be introducing legislation to support businesses that would otherwise be operating illegally due to being technically insolvent. There will be a  temporary suspension of “wrongful trading” rules which make it a criminal offence for a company to keep trading if they know the business is unable to repay its debts, with new rules allowing companies undergoing restructuring to continue to access supplies and raw materials. This will also remove the threat of Directors having personal liability for their business and  will apply retrospectively from March 1.

He also announced that companies required to hold Annual General Meetings will be able to do so flexibly in a matter compatible with public health guidance such as holding the AGM online, or by phone using only proxy voting.

Social Distancing

New measures around social distancing have been announced – the link below provides further guidance on this:

See more on GOV.UK website

Key Workers

Guidance for schools, childcare providers, colleges and local authorities in England on maintaining educational provision

See more on GOV.UK website