Covid-19 Resources

Employers can use the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme to claim back employees' coronavirus-related Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). Employers can claim back up to 2 weeks of SSP if:

• they have already paid your employee’s sick pay (use the SSP calculator to work out how much to pay)
• they’re claiming for an employee who’s eligible for sick pay due to coronavirus
• they have a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started on or before 28 February 2020
• they had fewer than 250 employees on 28 February 2020 across all your PAYE payroll schemes

Find out more: Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme - GOV.UK

The Job Support Scheme has been designed to protect viable jobs in businesses who are facing lower demand over the winter months due to Covid-19, to help keep their employees attached to the workforce.

• Employees will need to work a minimum of 33% of their usual hours. For every hour not worked, both the employer and the government will pay one third of the employee’s usual pay (government contribution capped at £697.92 per month)
• Employees using the scheme will receive at least 77% of their pay, where the government contribution has not been capped
• The employer will be reimbursed for the government contribution
• The employee must not be on a redundancy notice

All Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) will be eligible. Large firms will have to justify and demonstrate that they have been largely affected by COVID-19 before they can claim under this new scheme.

Find out more: Job Support Scheme - GOV.UK

A payment holiday (also called a freeze or deferral) is a period of time agreed with your lender, when you don’t have to make mortgage payments. A partial payment holiday is when your lender lets you make reduced payments.

Payment holidays are designed to help if you’re finding it hard to make payments – in this case because of coronavirus.

If you’ve not taken a mortgage payment holiday yet, you have until 31 October 2020 to apply for one. If you’ve already taken a payment holiday, but are still struggling with your payments, you also have until 31 October 2020 to apply for another payment holiday or partial payment holiday.

Find out more: Mortgage Holidays - Coronavirus

You may be able to claim tax relief for additional household costs if you have to work at home on a regular basis, either for all or part of the week. This includes if you have to work from home because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home.

Additional costs include things like heating, metered water bills, home contents insurance, business calls or a new broadband connection. They do not include costs that would stay the same whether you were working at home or in an office, such as mortgage interest, rent or council tax.

You may also be able to claim tax relief on equipment you’ve bought, such as a laptop, chair or mobile phone.

Find out more: Tax Relief - GOV.UK

Redundancy is a form of dismissal from your job. It happens when employers need to reduce their workforce. You must be selected for redundancy in a fair way, for example because of your level of experience or capability to do the job. You cannot be selected because of age, gender, or if you’re disabled or pregnant. If you are, this could be classed as an unfair dismissal. If you’re being made redundant, you might be eligible for certain things, including:

• redundancy pay
• a notice period
• a consultation with your employer
• the option to move into a different job
• time off to find a new job

Find out more: Redundancy - GOV.UK