The government’s Job Support Scheme (JSS) will be expanded to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions, the Chancellor has announced.
- Job Support Scheme will be expanded to support businesses across the UK required to close their premises due to coronavirus restrictions
- Government will pay two thirds of employees’ salaries to protect jobs over the coming months
- Cash grants for businesses required to close in local lockdowns also increased to up to £3,000 per month
Under the expansion, businesses whose premises are legally required to shut for some period over winter as part of local or national restrictions will receive grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work, in an attempt by government to protect jobs and enable businesses to reopen quickly once restrictions are lifted.
The government will support eligible businesses by paying two thirds of each employees’ salary (or 67%), up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.
Under the scheme, employers will not be required to contribute towards wages and only asked to cover NICS and pension contributions. It is estimated that around half of potential claims are likely not to incur employer NICs or auto-enrolment pension contributions and so face no employer contribution.
Businesses will only be eligible to claim the grant while they are subject to restrictions and employees must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive days.
The scheme will begin on 1 November and will be available for six months, with a review point in January. In line with the rest of the JSS, payments to businesses will be made in arrears, via a HMRC claims service that will be available from early December. Employees of firms that have been legally closed in the period before 1 November are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
In addition to the expansion of the JSS, the government is making the Local Restrictions Support Grant scheme more generous so that businesses in England can receive up to £3,000 per month, and are eligible for payment sooner, after only two weeks of closure rather than three. This could benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses, including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys and many more.
Further details on the expanded JSS can be found on this factsheet: Job Support Scheme Expansion for Closed Business Premises.
If you require advice and assistance for your business during this challenging time, please contact your usual Beavis Morgan Client Partner or email info@beavismorgan.com.
For further information about the Government measures to protect individuals and businesses, visit our COVID-19: Support for UK businesses hub.