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Coronavirus – support for businesses
The coronavirus and the nature of the national response to it is presenting many businesses with an unprecedented challenge. This page contains information about the support that is available to help.
Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF)
The government is in the process of developing a new business rates relief scheme called the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF). This would be a reduction against business rates liability. Updated information will be shared in this section when any scheme goes live.
Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
To make a claim, your business must have had a new or continuing impact from coronavirus between 1 November 2020 and 29 January 2021.
Apply via the GOV.UK website
Government guidance
The government has released further information on the next phase of the national response to coronavirus. You can read more information on the Gov.uk website.
The information about businesses and venues may be of particular relevance.
They also have some guidance on keeping yourself and others safe.
Making your workplace 'Covid secure'
Risk assessments – your duty as an employer
To ensure the safety of your employees and others affected by your work activity (e.g. customers) you must carry out a risk assessment.
As a result, you may need to put additional measures in place to protect your employees and customers from Coronavirus. If you have fewer than five employees, you don’t have to write anything down, but it might help if you do.
The Health and Safety Executive has produced some guidance on working safely during the coronavirus outbreak. You can also download template risk assessments.
We have listed additional government guides covering different types of work that may assist you in completing your risk assessment.
Government guidance
The government has published guidance to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely during the coronavirus pandemic. In some cases, it may be necessary to consider more than one of these guides, for example you may work from a vehicle and in people's homes or you may operate a warehouse and a shop.
The complete list can be found on the GOV.UK working safely website.
Report concerns about a business not following government safety guidance during coronavirus or get advice about working safely
Email: healthand.safety@towerhamlets.gov.uk
Fact sheets and advice
The London Business Hub has also produced fact sheets and a business checklist, that you might find useful, and is providing the opportunity to talk one-to-one with an adviser.
How to prevent and manage an outbreak
Please read our business toolkit for advice for businesses to prevent the spread of coronavirus in workplaces.
Guide to business and self-employment support available from the government
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The government's self-employment income support scheme will provide a grant to the value of 80 per cent of average historic annual profits, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.
If you are a ‘gig-economy’ or zero hours contract worker you may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay – check your eligibility.
If you are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay, you may be eligible for benefits such as the Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit.
ESA can be paid if you are sick, isolating according to government advice, or caring for a sick or isolating child.
ESA will be claimable from day one, rather than day eight of sickness.
ESA pays up to £73/week and is not impacted by a partner’s income, though it may be affected by a claimant’s personal pension.
Self-employed claimants on Universal Credit who are required to stay at home or are ill will not have a Minimum Income Floor (an assumed level of income) applied for a period of time while affected.
Please contact Job Centre Plus for claims for either Universal Credit or ESA.
Changes to the way freelancers and contractors are classified for tax purposes, under the IR35 or 'off payroll' reforms, have been deferred for 12 months.
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We recognise that businesses in Tower Hamlets are facing a unique challenge due to the coronavirus pandemic. To support those businesses for whom we are the landlord, we have launched a rent deferral scheme.
It is aimed at allowing businesses to manage their cash flow, relieving stress during this unprecedented period and making it easier to meet immediate financial commitments such as paying staff and suppliers and meeting running costs.
The scheme will enable tenants to delay the payment of their rent for three calendar months from 1 April 2020.
The expectation is that the deferred rent payments should be paid in full by 31 March 2021, however we understand that there may be some businesses that require an extension due to hardship and in such circumstances, we will give consideration to special arrangements.
Businesses will be eligible to apply for a rent deferral if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- The premises have been closed in accordance with the government guidance on closing certain businesses and venues.
- The premises have been closed by the council due to the coronavirus pandemic.
- The business cannot trade.
- The business has been granted business rates relief as part of the government relief scheme.
- The business is considered micro or SME in accordance with current government guidance.
If you have questions about the scheme, please email rentdefermentscheme@towerhamlets.gov.uk
The government has also announced new protections for commercial tenants, other than those for whom the council is the landlord, that are not able to pay their rent during the next three months, as a result of COVID-19.
Network Rail has announced it is cancelling all first quarter (25 March to 23 June 2020) rent payments due from tenants in their commercial estate portfolio, providing significant relief for small businesses.
It has been announced that small and medium businesses on TfL's estate, which make up 86 per cent of tenants, are to get 100 per cent rent relief. This will start from start from 25 March for the next three months.
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We have a dedicated enterprise team working to support our local business community.
We work in partnership with local and national agencies to provide businesses with relevant training, advice on subjects such as business planning, marketing, raising finance and becoming fit to supply. We also bring our business community together through the use of digital networking events, workshops and seminars.
If you would like to get in contact with a member of the team to find out what support is available for your business, please contact us by emailing thenterprise@towerhamlets.gov.uk or completing this online form.
A member of the team will get back to you within 24 hours, 9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday.
You can also follow us on twitter or join our mailing list to receive regular business support updates.
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As a council we will do all we can to protect the businesses of Tower Hamlets through this difficult time. If you have a commercial waste contract with us, and your business is in financial difficulty, please contact us to discuss options that may be available to you including a suspension of commercial waste charges for those businesses forced to suspend trading.
Please call us on 020 7364 4933.
For more information, see our commercial waste pages.
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Through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue to pay part of the salaries of employees that are laid off because of the crisis.
HMRC will reimburse 80 per cent of these worker’s wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month, backdated to 1 March 2020.
HMRC will be setting up the systems required for this new scheme and more details will follow.
Statutory Sick Pay will be available to all who are advised to self-isolate from coronavirus or are caring for someone else who has, provided the employees earnings are over £118/week.
Rules around GP sick notes have also been relaxed, and a notification can be obtained from NHS 111 Online.
Statutory Sick Pay will be paid from day one instead of day four and government intend to legislate so this measure applies retrospectively from 13 March 2020.
The government will refund the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for up to 14 days to small and medium-sized businesses.
Employment allowance to increase by £1,000 allowing certain businesses who employ staff to reduce their National Insurance bill by £4,000.
The Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) has advice for businesses on dealing with a range of employment issues including staff absence, homeworking, staff presenting symptoms, closing premises and staff lay-offs.
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The coronavirus business interruption loan scheme offers finance to smaller businesses that are viable but unable to obtain finance due to insufficient security to meet the lender’s normal requirements.
Businesses with a turnover of no more than £41 million can apply for a loan of between £1,000 and £5 million, from a range of lenders.
At the discretion of lenders, for loans below £250,000 the scheme can be used for unsecured lending.
Commercial tenants unable to pay rent because of coronavirus will be protected from eviction.
No interest is due on the loan for the first 12 months and there are no fees.
You should talk to your bank or finance provider (not the British Business Bank) as soon as possible and discuss your business plan with them.
If your business premises are eligible for Small Business Rate Relief, grants of up to £10,000 are being made available.
A new helpline (0800 015 9559) to the HMRC's Time to Pay service is open, so businesses and the self-employed can arrange to defer tax payments. More information is also available online.
VAT payments are going to be deferred for three months. The deferral will apply from 20 March 2020 until 30 June 2020 and businesses will not need to make a VAT payment during this period.
Advice for businesses that trade internationally has been published by the Department for International Trade.
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- The Metropolitan Police Business Crime Hub has issued some useful guidance about ensuring your business does not become a victim of crime during these challenging times.