Employers have been urged by Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State Dominic Raab to play their part in the fight against COVID-19 by taking care of their employees.
Questioned on the Coronavirus Job Retention (‘Furlough’) Scheme during today’s Downing Street press conference, Mr Raab asked employers to think about protecting their employees, ensuring that they supported social distancing in the workplace for all workers, including those who are disabled.
“It is important that we realise we are all in this together, and we will pull through this together,” he said.
Preparing the country for the extension of the lockdown period, Mr Raab thanked everyone from NHS front line staff to supermarket workers, delivery drivers and volunteers, saying “they have made us rethink about who the key workers are in our lives”.
He also urged the public, ahead of the Easter weekend, to remain at home. With good weather forecast over the four days, Mr Raab reminded the public that “we’re not done yet and we must keep going” to save lives.
He said the peak of the virus had not yet been reached and added: “We must not give the virus a second chance to kill more people. Please stay home this bank holiday weekend.”
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: launch date announced
Yesterday, the Chief Executive of HMRC, Jim Harra, appeared before the Treasury Select Committee and announced that their online system for making claims under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will be launched on 20 April.
The system has been tested to handle up to 450,000 claims per hour and yesterday they began live testing with a small number of invited businesses. Employers can expect to receive their furlough grant within 4 to 6 days of submitting their claim and the first payments are due to come through by the end of April.
Mr Harra said he was confident that the portal would not crash but accepts that their call centre may struggle to cope with call volumes if many employers call for assistance on using the system. HMRC have put plans in place to ensure the process works as smoothly and quickly as possible, with 2,000 staff already dedicated to their helplines and another 3,500 redeployed to help process the huge number of anticipated claims.
Sector letters from Business Secretary, Alok Sharma
Retail sector
Click here to read the letter from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, to those working in retail. The letter thanks all those who are working in retail during the coronavirus pandemic. The latest guidance on operating safely in the workplace during coronavirus for the retail sector is available here. The British Retail Consortium has also developed sector specific guidance on social distancing in warehouses and distribution centres aligned with this advice – click here to view.
Manufacturing sector
Click here to read the letter from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, to those working in manufacturing. The letter thanks all those who are working in manufacturing during the coronavirus pandemic. Click here to read the latest guidance on operating safely in the workplace for manufacturing and processing businesses during coronavirus.
Additional new guidance
Charity support package details
The Chancellor announced a £750 million package of support for charities yesterday to ensure they can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak. £370 million will also be allocated for small and medium-sized charities, including through a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund for those in England. The application system for the National Lottery Community Fund grant pot is expected to be operational in the coming weeks. You can find more information here.
Supply chain support
The Chartered Institute of Transport (CILT) has set up a database for organisations in urgent need of supply chain resources – click here to view. The database has been made up from information provided by industry and provides a service that matches organisations together, so that those who have capacity can help those organisations in urgent need, such as the NHS and the grocery retail sector, by making available staff, vehicles, warehouse space and expertise to support the supply chain.
Support for Conveyancers
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers will give the firms it regulates the option of deferring the regulatory fees they pay to help them cope with the coronavirus crisis. Conveyancers have the option of deferring payment of Practice Fee and Compensation Fund contributions for April, May and June. Firms deferring their payments will be given the option to repay the fees over either four or 12 months, starting in July 2020. Click here for more information.
Can your business offer Coronavirus support?
NEW: Help the government increase coronavirus (COVID-19) testing capacity
The government wants help from businesses to increase testing capacity in the UK as part of its strategy to protect the NHS and save lives. Find out more here.
Can your business offer further support?
The UK Government is looking for businesses who can offer support in the multiple areas and has set up an online tool where businesses can register. To offer support click here.
Can you help feed the nation?
Country Land and Business Association Limited is calling on the public to help farms feed the nation and save this year’s harvest. As a result of travel restrictions and illness, the agricultural sector could face a shortage of up to 80,000 seasonal labour workers. Find out how you could help by working on a farm near you here.
NHS asks people to share their coronavirus symptoms to help others
A new Coronavirus Status Checker will help the NHS coordinate its response and build up additional data on the COVID-19 outbreak. It is open to anyone in the UK to use on the NHS website and in its initial phase the NHS is particularly keen for anyone who thinks they may be displaying potential coronavirus symptoms, no matter how mild, to complete it. Please share the checker with your employees and networks. You can find more information here.
Government COVID-19 FAQs
Frequently asked questions for businesses and employers, on business closures and stay at home, and on the self-employment income support scheme, are available on the business support website. Click here.
Business support packages: latest updates
- Extra protection for businesses with ban on evictions for commercial tenants who miss rent payments – click here
- Financial assistance for employers unable to pay statutory redundancy payments – click here
- The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – click here.
- Deferring VAT and Income Tax payments – click here.
- Statutory Sick Pay relief package for SMEs – click here. NEW GUIDANCE
- 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery businesses in England – click here
- Small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief – click here
- Grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000 – click here
- The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5million for SMEs through the British Business Bank – click here. OPEN
- 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 – click here. OPEN
- The HMRC Time To Pay Scheme – click here
- Import duties and VAT on vital medical equipment – click here
The government has set up a business support helpline, which is open Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm. More information can be found here. The latest UK Government advice can be found here.
There is a dedicated Government Business Support site here.
Get in touch
If you would like to contact SELEP regarding any of your activity during this time, or have any queries, please email hello@southeastlep.com and we will respond as quickly as we can.
Our bulletins and news updates will be available online in our news section – click here to view. Our Growth Hub has a regularly updated page with support, guidance and advice for businesses in the South East, found here.