Please see below for the latest advice and information for businesses and employers during the coronavirus outbreak.
Updates are being issued regularly, so please do check back.
This page was last updated on 27 March 2020
Enforced Closures and Restrictions on Businesses Food Delivery and Takeaway Guidance
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| Government Assistance Announced | Details | Timescale |
|---|---|---|
| Business Rates | ||
Business Rates Holiday for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure | Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, irrespective of Rateable Value, will receive 100% retail relief for 2020/21. So every shop, pub, theatre, music venue, restaurant and any other business in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will pay no business rates for a year. This has been extended to cover all premises, regardless of their Rateable Value. Properties that will benefit from the relief will be those that are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues, for assembly and leisure, or as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation | We are working hard to rebill all eligible businesses to show this 100% discount for 2020/21 as soon as possible. Eligible businesses will receive a new bill showing that there is nothing to pay for 2020/21. |
| If your business is in the retail, hospitality or leisure sector, you will receive a cash grant of up to £25,000 per property (subject to the information below). Businesses in these sectors with a rateable value of under £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000. Businesses in these sectors with a rateable value of between £15,001 and £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000. Properties that will benefit from the relief will be those that are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues, for assembly and leisure, or as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. | The Council will receive the Government funding on 1 April The Council will send a letter to the business rates contact address of businesses who might be eligible for the cash grants. This will be in the next few days. | |
| The Government is providing additional funding for Local Authorities to support small businesses that already pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief (SBRR), rural rate relief (RRR) and tapered relief. This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible businesses to help meet their ongoing business costs.
| The Council will receive the Government funding on 1 April The Council will send a letter to the business rates contact address of businesses who might be eligible for the cash grants. This will be in the next few days. | |
| Business Rates Holiday for Nurseries | Nurseries in England do not have to pay business rates for the 2020-21 tax year. Properties that will benefit from the relief will be those occupied by providers on Ofsted's Early Year Register and are wholly or mainly used for the provision of Early Years Foundation Stage. | Eligible businesses will receive a new bill showing that there is nothing to pay for 2020/21 as soon as possible. |
| Government Assistance Announced | Details | How to Access |
|---|---|---|
| Other Assistance | ||
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme | Under the coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers with a PAYE scheme will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees' salary for those that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis. This applies to employees who have been asked to stop working, but who are being kept on the payroll, otherwise described as 'furloughed workers'. HMRC will reimburse 80% of their wages, up to £2,500 per month. This is to safeguard workers from being made redundant. The scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1st March and is initially open for 3 months, but will be extended if necessary. All UK wide employers with a PAYE scheme will be eligible - this includes the public sector, Local Authorities and charities. UK employers will need to designate affected employees as 'furloughed workers' and notify their employees of this change. Once the new online portal is live, employers need to submit information to HMRC about the employees that have been furloughed and their earnings. | HMRC are working urgently to set up a system for reimbursement. HMRC expect the first grants to be paid within weeks and they are aiming to get this done before the end of April. If your business needs short term cashflow support, you maybe eligible for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan. |
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme | A new temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme, delivered by the British Business Bank, will launch to support businesses to access bank lending and overdrafts. For loans up to £5 million, the Government is providing a guarantee of 80% for each loan. This will give lenders the confidence to continue to provide finance to businesses. The Government will not charge businesses or banks for this guarantee.
| Talk to your bank or finance provider as soon as possible and discuss your business plan with them. If you have an existing loan with monthly repayments you may want to ask for a repayment holiday to help with cashflow. |
Covid-19 Corporate Financing Facility | The new Covid-10 Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) means that the Bank of England will buy short-term debt from larger companies. This will support companies which are fundamentally strong, but have been affected by a short term funding squeeze. It will operate for at least 12 months. | More information on eligibility can be found on the Bank of England website |
Time to Pay (HMRC) | All businesses and self-employed people in financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities, may be eligible to receive support with their tax affairs through HMRC's Time to Pay service. These arrangements are agreed on a case-by-case basis and are tailored to individual circumstances and liabilities. | Call the HMRC Helpline for advice on 0800 0159 559 |
VAT Deferral | The Government will support businesses by deferring Value Added Tax (VAT) payments for 3 months. UK Registered businesses will not need to make VAT payments normally due with VAT returns during this period. Taxpayers will be given until the end of the 2020-21 tax year to pay any liabilities that have accumulated during the deferral period. VAT refunds and reclaims will be paid by the Government as normal.
| This is an automatic offer with no applications required. |
Statutory Sick Pay Rebate | The Government will bring forward legislation to allow small and medium-sized businesses to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for staff sickness absence due to coronavirus. This refund will cover up to 2 weeks' SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because of coronavirus. | A rebate scheme is being developed: further details will be provided in due course. |
| If you are self-employed and your trade is affected by COVID-19 we are working with the measures outlines by the Government, Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) and our own local powers to provide support where we can. | ||
|---|---|---|
Income Tax Deferral for the Self Employed | If you are self-employed, Income Tax payments due in July 2020 under the Self-Assessment system will be deferred to 31 January 2021. If you are self-employed, you are eligible. | This is an automatic offer with no applications required. No penalties or interest for late payment will be charged in the deferral period. |
Self Employed Income Support Scheme | If you are self employed and struggling during the coronavirus outbreak, the Government has announced a new support package for you. You can claim a taxable grant worth 80% of your trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 for the next three months. | The scheme will be open for applications soon. Please click on the button opposite to find out more. |
Apply for Universal Credit | Business owners and their employees who cannot work or find their income streams significantly reduced due to coronavirus maybe eligible to claim Council Tax Reduction or apply for support from our Exceptional Hardship Fund. | You can claim Universal Credit online for help with your income replacement and housing costs. |
Apply for Council Tax Reduction | The Government has also announced a new £500million Hardship Fund so we can support economically vulnerable people and households, to be administered by the Council. The Government expects most of this funding to be used to provide more council tax relief, either through existing Local Council Tax Support Schemes, or through similar measures. The Government will set out more detail on this funding, including allocations, shortly. | The Council will send out further update bulletins as soon as we have more information from Central Government. |
| Help Available | About |
|---|---|
| Frequently Asked Questions | The Government's website page on Frequently Asked Questions |
| The Heart of the South West Growth Hub | Business support and advice is available over the phone, 03456 047 047 or by email info@heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk or accessing The Heart of the South West Growth Hub website |
| Business Support | You can contact the Government's Business Support Helpline for free advice. 0300 456 3565 Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
| HMRC Covid-19 Helpline | All businesses and self-employed people in financial distress and with outstanding tax liabilities, may be eligible to receive support with their tax affairs through HMRC's Time to Pay service. These arrangements are agreed on a case-by-case basis and are tailored to individual circumstances and liabilities. These businesses can contact HMRC's new dedicated COVID-19 helpline for advice and support.
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Guidance for Businesses - 16 March 2020 Guidance for Businesses - 17 March 2020 Guidance for Businesses - 18 March 2020 Message from Council Leaders - 24 March 2020 Guidance for Businesses - 24 March 2020 Guidance for Businesses - 31 March 2020
