New lockdown rules explained, and furlough extended

Furlough scheme extended

Update: Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed that he will extend the furlough scheme until the end of March.

• The new Job Support Scheme has been delayed, and furlough scheme extended until the end of March
• Employees can be furloughed if they were included on an RTI submission filed with HMRC by 23:59 on 30 October 2020
• The Government will continue to pay 80% of the employees’ wages up to £2,500
• Employers will pay their national insurance and pension contributions
• Flexible furlough is still allowed
• Portal opens on 11 November
• When claiming the CJRS grant for furloughed hours, employers will need to report and claim for a minimum period of 7 consecutive calendar days
• Claims cannot cross calendar months and will need to be submitted by day 14 of the following month. As with the current CJRS system, pay periods that cross calendar months will need to be claimed in 2 separate claims.
• As with the current CJRS, employers are still able to choose to top up employee wages above the scheme grant at their own expense if they wish
• The Government will confirm shortly when claims can first be made in respect of employee wage costs during November, but there will be no gap in eligibility for support between the previously announced end-date of CJRS and this extension.

Self-employment income support scheme (SEISS)

• The Government have announced that the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme is increasing funding from 40% to 80% of average trading profits in November
• The SEISS will be calculated over 3 months so the total grant will increase from 40% to 55% of trading profits for November to January
• The maximum grant will increase to £5,160
• The claims window will open at the end of November (rather than the middle of December)
• You don’t have to have claimed the previous 2 grants to qualify for this one but do need to have been eligible for the support

Job Retention Bonus
The Job Retention Bonus (JRB) will not now be paid in February 2021. The purpose of the JRB was to encourage employers to keep people in work until the end of January. However, as the CJRS is now being extended to 31 March 2021, the policy intent of the JRB no longer applies. The latest information is that a retention incentive payment will be made at a later date, and as soon as further details are announced we will add them to this page.

Business grants

• These will be available for businesses forced to close
• Grants calculated for each 2 week period closed, and based on your rateable value as follows:
  • up to £15,000 the grant is £667 every 2 weeks
  • between £15,001 and £50,999 £1,000 every 2 weeks
  • above £51,000 should receive a grant of £1,500 every 2 weeks

New lockdown rules apply from 5 November

You should not leave home, except:

• for education
• for work, if you cannot work from home
• for exercise and recreation outdoors
• for medical reasons
• to shop for food and essentials
• to care for others

Businesses that must close:

• Pubs, restaurants and bars, but they can still offer takeaway and delivery
• Gyms and leisure facilities
• Personal care facilities (beauty salons etc)
• Non-essential retail – but they can offer delivery and click-and-collect services

Organisations that can stay open:

• Hotels and accommodation, only for guests travelling for work
• Childcare, nurseries, schools and colleges
• Construction and manufacturing
• But work from home where you can

We continue to support you through this period of uncertainty 

This is a tough time for many business owners, especially as we're only just getting over the last lockdown. Our core purpose continues to be to support you through this, so please lean on us.

We will continue to release updates and guidance where we can so please keep an eye on our emails, and do utilise the following resources:

• Our COVID-19 Support Page
• Give our Coronavirus Business Support team a call on 0330 058 6559
• Let us know you would like us to continue making furlough claims on your behalf by emailing.

We encourage you to make a plan, forecast cashflow, and stay in touch with us so that we can work with you through uncertain times.