COVID 19 Update: The Closure of Public Spaces
The government have shown an intention to deal with Corona Virus within 3 months.
With this, they have taken the following steps as of 12pm tonight –
- Shutting pubs, clubs, cafes, restaurants, gyms, leisure centres and shops was mentioned
- Takeaway services are to stay open
They are now taking temporary steps to protect the economy with unprecedented measures:
Protecting jobs: – The government are to pay staff wages allowing employers to apply for 80% of staff wages up to £2500 per month from HMRC – this will be finalised in the coming days of how to do this
- This can be backdated to 1st March and will be for a period of 3 months, but may be extended. The first grants are to be paid within weeks and will be paid before end of April
- More guidance will be given on who this covers, as gig economy and zero-hour contracts will be included
- Business loans will be interest-free for a period of 12 months and not the 6 months first mentioned
Further cash flow support for business –
- There will be no VAT payable from now until June, and you will have up to December (I believe he said) to repay this
- The second payment on account, normally due in July, will now be deferred until January 2021
- Support for self employed seems to be in the form of increasing working tax and universal credit by £1000 each
- There is a benefit to renters also, but I will need to review more to see what was said in detail
