COVID-19 Updates
News, opinions and useful links
Latest COVID-19 Updates
Coronavirus business support updates from our accounting team. Featuring news from the government and our opinions on how it will impact businesses.
As well as these short bursts of information, we will be sharing more in-depth articles on our Insights blog and holding workshops to help business owners keep growing.
If you have anything that you think we should feature, please get in touch and let us know.
Self-employed to receive two more grants
The Government have announced two further grants for the self-employed (not companies).
The grants (SEISS) will cover the period from November 2020 to April 2021 and will be paid in two instalments.
The first lump sum will be 20% of average monthly profits, up to £1,875. We expect it to be paid in November.
The level of the second grant, covering February March and April 2021, will be reviewed by the Government in time to come.
Details of how to apply will be covered on our webinar on 28 September.
To find out more about the eligibility please see the Government’s policy paper
Winter Economy Plan announced
As the country prepares for a winter where trade will be difficult, the government have announced further support for businesses.
Funds will be available: to support employers with paying for employees who cannot work full time, for the self-employed and to allow the deferral of tax and Bounce Back Loan repayments.
We are spending the next couple of days working out what this means for you and will then host a webinar to explain how it will impact our clients.
Kickstart scheme to pay for new employees
The Kickstart Scheme is designed to pay for 6-month job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.
Successful applicants will qualify for a £1,500 grant per employee, plus funding for 25 hours a week at National Minimum Wage.
These have to be newly created roles – not filling an existing position. To apply directly, an employer must be creating 30 or more new roles.
When this scheme was first announced by the government, they didn't make it clear you would need to create 30 jobs to apply. This requirement caught a few people by surprise! Fortunately, employers can partner up with businesses and make applications via organisations such as Somerset Chamber of Commerce.
For more information visit the Kickstart Scheme from the Government.
You can also register your interest with the Somerset Chamber of Commerce.
Our link to Somerset Chamber is made without expressing an opinion on the service or recommendation to apply. Other organisations are also making applications on behalf of multiple employers who wish to use the scheme for less than 30 new jobs. Please contact us if you would like advice on the Kickstart Scheme.
COVID-19 business support from JP Rata
Welcome to our new feed providing information about the support available to businesses as we deal with coronavirus.
On this page, we will give news, opinions and links to content we think you will find useful.
As we head in to an uncertain winter, we can gain strength from each other by coming together as a community. We will be doing our bit by sharing information quickly, in a way that is easy for others to understand.
As well as these short bursts of information, we will be sharing more in-depth articles on our Insights blog and holding workshops to help business owners to keep growing.
If you have anything that you think we should feature, please get in touch to let us know.