NEW! RESOURCES: Whitehall and City Hall Support Measures for Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Business Representative Organisations: Coronavirus support
The government is working closely with Business Representative Organisations and Trade Associations to support the national response to coronavirus.
Fashion Roundtable is among the trusted representative organisations. Check the list for all sectors here.
Calculate how much you can claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Sign Up to the HMRC webinar to understand the changes made to the CJRS.
Borders Announcement
Following a meeting with the Withdrawal Joint Committee, the UK Government has formally notified the EU that it will neither accept or seek any extension to the Transition Period.
Read the latest guidance for business while the UK is in a transition period and the UK and EU negotiate additional arrangements. The current rules on trade, travel, and business for the UK and EU will continue to apply during the transition period. New rules will take effect on 1 January 2021.
Government is introducing border controls in stages for EU goods imported into GB to give businesses more time to prepare. The stages are:
From January 2021: Traders importing standard goods, covering everything from clothes to electronics, will need to prepare for basic customs requirements, such as keeping sufficient records of imported goods, and will have up to six months to complete customs declarations. While tariffs will need to be paid on all imports, payments can be deferred until the customs declaration has been made. There will be checks on controlled goods like alcohol and tobacco. Businesses will also need to consider how they account for VAT on imported goods.
From April 2021: All products of animal origin (POAO) and all regulated plants and plant products will also require pre-notification and the relevant health documentation.
From July 2021: Traders moving all goods will have to make declarations at the point of importation and pay relevant tariffs. Full Safety and Security declarations will be required, while for SPS commodities there will be an increase in physical checks and the taking of samples: checks for animals, plants and their products will now take place at GB Border Control Posts.
List of customs agents and fast parcel operators who can help submit customs declarations from 1 January 2021
It can be complicated to submit import and export customs declarations, so you may want to use a company which specialises in this area.
These include:
customs agents and brokers
freight forwarders
shipping companies
fast parcel operators (for example, couriers or next-day parcels services)
agents who specialise in a certain industry.
A new £50 million governmental support package to boost the capacity of customs intermediaries, available from July 2020
This funding will support intermediaries including customs brokers, freight forwarders and express parcel operators with recruitment, training and supplying IT equipment to help handle customs declarations. Applications for the new funding will be open from July and HMRC will unveil more details in due course. Rules will also be changed to remove barriers for intermediaries taking on new clients.
Migration Advisory Committee seeks views on skills shortages
As a result of the coronavirus outbreak, alongside the main call for evidence, the MAC have created options for businesses to provide more limited evidence or to register that they would have responded in different circumstances.
Respond Online.
Face coverings become mandatory on public transport in England
From Monday 15 June, it is mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport in England (bus, coach, train, tram, ferry and aircrafts)
Thousands of high street shops, department stores and shopping centres reopened in England
Non-essential Retail
All non-essential retail shops (high street retailers, department stores, book shops, electronics retailers, tailors, auction houses, photography studios, indoor markets, and shops selling clothes, shoes and toys) reopened in England on Monday 15 June, provided they follow guidelines to keep staff and customers as safe as possible by following Government’s five tests are met and they follow the COVID-19 secure guidelines. More details here.
Businesses should display a notice to inform customers and staff they have followed COVID secure guidance.
Updated guidance for the retail sector has been published alongside this announcement, detailing the measures retailers should take to meet the necessary social distancing and hygiene standards. You can find the guidance here.
Zoos, safari parks and open-air cinemas in England reopened on Monday 15 June 2020.
Check which businesses must remain closed here.
Shops and branches
Guidance for people who work in or run shops, branches, stores or similar environments. Find out how to make your retail workplace COVID-secure. You can find the guidance here
Re-watch the webinar: working safely in shops and branches on youtube, by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) for England
Guidance to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic. You can find the guidance here
Watch Youtube recordings of webinars covering 8 types of workplace settings here.
1. Carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment
2. Develop cleaning, hand-washing and hygiene procedure
3. Help people to work from home
4. Maintain 2m social distancing, where possible
5. Where people cannot be 2m apart, manage transmission risk
Keep up to date with changes due to the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol
If the answer is yes to any of the following four questions, please complete the questionnaire for businesses who move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and send it to hmrctraders@hmrc.gov.uk.
1. Do you move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
2. Do you move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland on behalf of someone?
3. Are you based in Northern Ireland and currently receive goods from Great Britain?
4. Do you send parcels between Great Britain and Northern Ireland using Royal Mail or an express operator?
Entering or returning to the UK during COVID-19
New Border and self-quarantine measures. The rules are for residents and visitors from 8 June:
need to provide journey and contact details when travelling to the UK
not be allowed to leave the place of staying for the first 14 days in the UK except in very limited situations (known as ‘self-isolating’).
Travellers from Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, that were there for 14 days or more do not need to complete the form. Check the guidance here.
Check the guidance for exemptions: Coronavirus (COVID-19): travellers exempt from border rules in the UK
Where businesses think exemptions do apply, businesses should then produce a letter for the employee/contractor to show on arrival in the UK.
French border restrictions in response to coronavirus
A summary of the border restrictions in place for travelling to the UK and to France. Since 20 March 2020 entry to France has been limited to those transiting through France, returning French nationals and permanent residents, and a small number of essential travel categories.
Advice for Tier 2, 4 and 5 sponsors during COVID-19
The Guidance for Tier 2, 4 and 5 visa sponsors in the UK who are sponsoring those affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19) can be found here, with information on scanned documents.
HMRC Business support videos during COVID-19
Running a business through coronavirus
Coronavirus job retention scheme
Self-employment and income support scheme
Statutory sick pay rebate scheme
Helping employers support employees
Watch HMRC videos here.
Coronavirus financial support
The Business Support Helpline number in England has changed to FREEPHONE 0800 998 1098. The helpline provides free, impartial business support and signposting services to businesses in England – which currently includes business advice on Covid-19.
Coronavirus business support hub
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support
Local advice and support for business
Growth hubs are local public/private sector partnerships backed by the Government, led and governed by Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).
The network of 38 Growth Hubs across England provides a free to use, impartial and local single point of contact to all businesses so that they can access the right advice and support when they need it.
The hubs can advise businesses on local and national business support - including schemes put in place to help businesses through the current Covid 19 situation - and help businesses build their resilience. Businesses can find their local Growth Hub here.
New free online learning platform to boost workplace skills
A new online learning platform to help boost the nation’s skills while people are staying at home has been launched by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.
Free courses are available through The Skills Toolkit. The new platform gives people access to free, high-quality digital and numeracy courses to help build up their skills, progress in work and boost their job prospects.
Relaxed Rules to Support Businesses
The Full List of Relaxed Rules can be found here
Companies to receive a 3-month extension period to file accounts during COVID-19
Companies House have announced that businesses will be given an additional 3 months to file accounts to help companies avoid penalties as they deal with the impacts of COVID-19. Full guidance on applying for an extension can be found here.
New measures to protect UK High Street from aggressive rent collection and closure
New temporary new measures are being introduced to safeguard the UK High Street against aggressive debt recovery actions during the coronavirus pandemic.
Statutory demands and winding up petitions issued to commercial tenants will be temporarily voided and changes will be made to the use of Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery, building on measures already introduced in the Coronavirus Act. Find more information here.
Employers do not have to report gender pay gaps
Enforcement of the gender pay gap reporting deadlines is suspended for this reporting year (2019/20) due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The decision means there will be no expectation on employers to report their data.
Rules on carrying over annual leave to be relaxed to support key industries during COVID-19
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Eligibility: Workers who have not taken all of their statutory annual leave
Availability: Currently Live
Workers who have not taken all of their statutory annual leave entitlement due to COVID-19 will now be able to carry it over into the next 2 leave years, under measures introduced by Business Secretary Alok Sharma today (Friday 27 March).
The regulations will allow up to 4 weeks of unused leave to be carried into the next 2 leave years, easing the requirements on business to ensure that workers take statutory amount of annual leave in any one year.
The regulations will allow up to 4 weeks of unused leave to be carried into the next 2 leave years, easing the requirements on business to ensure that workers take statutory amount of annual leave in any one year.
This will mean staff can continue working in the national effort against the coronavirus without losing out on annual leave entitlement.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): right to work checks
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-right-to-work-checks
Pay it forward campaign - Supporting businesses through the coronavirus crisis
The Business Support campaign is working with Crowdfunder to build awareness about the support provided to small businesses through the Pay it Forward campaign. Small businesses can set-up a Pay it Forward campaign to pre-sell their services and diversify trading now to ensure continuous cash flow. Crowdfunder is covering all platform and transaction fees making it free to small businesses. Enterprise Nation is providing access to free training and support for business, to help with online sales, marketing, cashflow, and diversifying, if necessary. This campaign is nationwide and you can someone who is self-employed, a micro or small businesses can set-up a Pay it Forward campaign here.
Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
An Updated advice has been published for Estate Agents; Developers and new build sales; Tradespeople; Conveyancers; New Build Home Warranty Assessments and claims against the warranty; Surveyors and EPC Assessors; Removals Firms; Letting Agents and Private Landlords and Social landlords, on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Landlords and Tenants
Non-statutory guidance for landlords and tenants in the private and social rented sectors on:
Measures relating to notices seeking possession as amended by the Coronavirus Act 2020
Court action on possession cases during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Property access and health and safety obligations in the context of Coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.
Moving goods through customs during the coronavirus (COVID-19)
Find out about moving goods and clearing customs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Customs authorisations during the coronavirus (COVID-19)
Find out about temporary changes to customs policy and authorisations to assist businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.