Covid-19 Support for Businesses
Chancellor’s Announcements to Support Businesses
The Chancellor announced yesterday a series of measures to protect jobs and support businesses, including:
- The new Job Support Scheme will replace furlough, starting on 1st November. More details..
- Bounce back loans can now be repaid over 10 years, deadline to apply extended to 30th Nov.
- Self-assessment taxpayers can now delay payments
- The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme has been extended for six months. More details
The Money Saving Expert website has a good summary of how these measures will work. More details on Government’s Winter Economy Plan
Local Lockdown Business Grants
The government has announced that businesses in England that are required to shut because of local interventions will now be able to claim up to £1,500 per property every three weeks.
To be eligible for the grant, a business must have been required to close due to local Covid 19 restrictions. The largest businesses will receive £1,500 every three weeks they are required to close. Smaller businesses will receive £1,000. For more details click here.
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Mayor’s Resilience Fund
The Mayor of London has launched a £1 million innovation programme to support London’s businesses and community groups to emerge stronger from the current coronavirus crisis, and to ensure the capital is better prepared for future disruptive challenges.
Grants of up to £30,000 will be rewarded to projects that develop innovative solutions to the environmental and economic challenges facing the London’s economy. This could include new ways of using data and technology to identify and address vulnerabilities in supply chains, local food or energy production. For full details and how to apply visit: https://www.tech.london/resilience
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Do You Need the NHS COVID-19 QR Code?
It is now a legal obligation for certain businesses to display a NHS QR code for customers to scan with their smartphone, to support the NHS COVID-19 app. Businesses include: hospitality (cafes, bars, restaurants), close contact services such as hairdressers and those in the tourism and leisure sector. The QR code will make it easier for people to check-in at different premises – as they won’t have to log their details in other ways. Click here to create your QR code These regulations will be enforced by local authorities who will have the power to issue fines of up to £1,000 – rising to £4,000 for repeat offenders.