In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, Welsh and UK Governments have announced a range of measures to support businesses and workers across Wales, these include:
1. Business Rate Relief
Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses with a rateable value of £500,000 or less will receive 100% business rates relief for the financial year 2020/21.
Guidance is available here.
HOW TO APPLY: You do not need to do anything to access this. Ceredigion County Council officers will automatically process this as soon as they can directly with eligible businesses.
2. Grants for Businesses
The Welsh Government has introduced two grants to support businesses in Wales through the Coronavirus pandemic. These grants will only be available to businesses that were on the Non-Domestic Rates rating list on 20th March 2020.
Grant 1: A grant of £25,000 is being made available for retail, leisure and hospitality businesses occupying properties with a rateable value of between £12,001 and £51,000.
This means businesses that occupy properties such as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas, live music venues, hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.
Grant 2: A £10,000 grant to all businesses eligible for Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) in Wales with a rateable value of £12,000 or less.
HOW TO APPLY: Check your eligibility above, and complete the form below. Should you have more than one business which qualifies for either or both Grant 1 or 2 please complete a form for EACH premise.
3. Business Interruption Loan Scheme
The UK government has announced a temporary Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to provide finance to Welsh businesses during the Covid-19 outbreak (supporting businesses to access bank lending and overdrafts). The government will provide lenders with a guarantee of 80% on each loan (subject to a per-lender cap on claims) to give lenders further confidence in continuing to provide finance to SMEs.
It will be available to businesses in Wales via the banks and will operate in much the same way as the current Enterprise Finance Guarantee but on more attractive terms for both businesses and lenders.
Further information on the scheme is now available the British Business Bank’s website here.
4. Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis. Employers will need to:
- Designate affected employees as ‘furloughed workers,’ and notify employees of this change. Changing the status of employees remains subject to existing employment law and, depending on the employment contract, may be subject to negotiation; and
- Submit information to HMRC about the employees that have been furloughed and their earnings through a new online portal. HMRC will set out further details on the information required.
- HMRC will reimburse 80% of furloughed workers wage costs, up to a cap of £2,500 per month.
- HMRC are working urgently to set up a system for reimbursement. Existing systems are not set up to facilitate payments to employers. If your business needs short term cash flow support, you may be eligible for a Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan.
5. Deferring Valued Added Tax (VAT) and Income Tax payments
Value Added Tax (VAT) payments will be deferred for 3 months. If you’re self-employed, Income Tax payments due in July 2020 under the Self-Assessment system will be deferred to January 2021.
6. HMRC Time to Pay
HMRC have also scaled up their Time to Pay offer to all firms and individuals who are in temporary financial distress as a result of Covid-19 and have outstanding tax liabilities. You can contact HMRC’s dedicated Covid-19 helpline to get practical help and advice. This can be reached by calling 0800 0159 559
7. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
UK Government will shortly bring forward legislation to allow all UK small-and medium-sized businesses and employers to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) paid for sickness absence due to COVID-19.
For the latest advice and guidance from Government, please follow these links:
- www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19
- gov.wales/topic/980/latest
- businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice
Helplines
A number of helplines have been set up to help (note some will be experiencing high call volumes):
- Business Wales – 03000 6 03000
- HMRC – 0800 015 9599
- Universal Credit – 0800 328 5644