Key points to note: Job Retention Bonus:To help firms keep on furloughed workers, UK Employers will receive a one-off bonus of £1,000 for each furloughed employee who is still employed as of 31 January 2021. Kickstart Scheme: A new £2 billion scheme will also be launched to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country. Those aged 16-24, claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, will be eligible. Funding available for each six-month job placement will cover 100% of the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week – and employers will be able to top this wage up. Employment and support schemes:A total of £1.6 billion will be invested in scaling up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job. Creating jobs: The plan will also create tens of thousands of jobs through bringing forward work on £8.8 billion of new infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects. In addition, £5.8 billion will be spent on shovel-ready construction projects to get Britain building. Eat Out to Help Out:To encourage people to safely return to eating out at restaurants the Government’s new discount scheme will provide a 50% reduction for sit-down meals in cafes, restaurants and pubs across the UK from Monday to Wednesday every week throughout August 2020. VAT: The rate of VAT applied on most tourism and hospitality-related activities will be cut from 20% to 5%. Stamp Duty: A temporary increase to the Nil Rate Band of Residential SDLT (Stamp Duty) from £125,000 to £500,000 has been introduced until 31 March 2021. Full details of the announcement can be found here: https://bit.ly/CXPlanForJobs.
1) Travel exemptions On Saturday 4th July the government’s travel advice changed, with exemptions for travelling to certain countries and territories that no longer pose a high risk for British travellers. The government continues to advise against non-essential international travel, except to countries and territories listed. You can view the full list of exempted travellers here – https://bit.ly/HOExemptions – and exempted destinations here – https://bit.ly/ExemptedDestinations. Full guidance for British people travelling overseas during the coronavirus pandemic can be found here: https://bit.ly/CV19TravelGuidance. 2) Hairdressers reopening Also from Saturday 4th July, Britain’s hairdressers and barber shops were back open for business. The Cabinet Office has shared the following tweet, which explains how hairdressers will keep customers and staff safe. We would appreciate you retweeting on your own channels where possible: https://bit.ly/SalonsTweet. Guidance for people who provide close contact services (e.g. hairdressers and barbers) can be found here: https://bit.ly/CV19CloseContactGuidance. 3) £1.57 billion support package for cultural and heritage organisations Britain’s globally renowned arts, culture and heritage industries will receive a world-leading £1.57 billion rescue package to help weather the impact of coronavirus, the government announced today. The money, which represents the biggest ever one-off investment in UK culture, will provide a lifeline to vital cultural and heritage organisations across the country hit hard by the pandemic. It will help them stay afloat while their doors are closed. Funding to restart paused projects will also help support employment, including freelancers working in these sectors. Further details of the announcement can be found here: https://bit.ly/CultureSupportPackage.
1) Test & Trace guidance: Maintaining records of staff, customers & visitors The easing of social and economic lockdown measures following the COVID-19 outbreak is being supported by NHS Test and Trace. Organisations in certain sectors should assist this service by keeping a temporary record of customers and visitors for 21 days, in a way that is manageable for your organisation, and assists NHS Test and Trace with requests for that data if needed. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks. Sectors that this guidance applies to: Hospitality, including pubs, bars, restaurants and cafés; Tourism and leisure, including hotels, museums, cinemas, zoos and theme parks; Close contact services, including hairdressers, barbershops and tailors; Facilities provided by local authorities, including town halls and civic centres for events, community centres, libraries and children’s centres; and Places of worship, including use for events and other community activities. Full guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/CV19BusinessTT. 2) Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services reopening safely From Saturday 4th July, most of the pubs and restaurants we love will be reopening. We have shared the following tweet, which explains how pubs and restaurants will keep customers and staff safe. We would appreciate you retweeting on your own channels where possible: https://twitter.com/HMGLondonSE/status/1278999977637879809 Hospitality safer working guidance can be found here: https://bit.ly/HospitalityGuidance. 3) Self-isolation lifted for lower risk countries Passengers returning or visiting from certain destinations, which pose a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens, including Spain and Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate when arriving in England, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps will set out today (3 July 2020). Passengers returning to or visiting England from certain destinations including Germany, France, Spain and Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate on arrival from 10 July 2020. The FCO will set out exemptions for a number of destinations from its global advisory against ‘all but essential’ international travel, with changes coming into effect on 4 July 2020. In addition, all passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions, will still be required to provide contact information on arrival in the UK. The full news story can be found here – https://bit.ly/SelfIsolationChanges – and further guidance will follow. 4) Employee return-to-work tool The government has developed a tool to help employees in England easily assess if they can return to work. The tool guides employees through questions that may influence their ability to go back to work safely. Employers can share this tool with employees to aid discussion on how employees can return to work safely. Please find out more here: https://bit.ly/EmployeeTool. As ever, please do share these trackable links through your network and if you have any questions, please email our dedicated business enquiries mailbox (covid19-partnerships@cabinetoffice.gov.uk).
COVID19 guidance for community facilities If your charity operates community centres, village halls, and other community facilities the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government has published guidance for reopening from 4 July. Find out more. Reporting serious incidents during the coronavirus pandemic The Charity Commission has published guidance for trustees on what matters may need to be reported as a serious incident during the coronavirus pandemic. Find out more.
Charity Commission says AGMs can be pushed back to September The Charity Commission has updated it’s guidance to allow charities to push AGMs back to September due to COVID19. Find out more Regulation guidance places ‘undue burden’ on volunteer Trustees There is an “undue burden” placed on trustees by the volume and tone of Charity Commission guidance, according to members of the Charity Law Association, Civil Society Reports. Find out more Updated Charity Shop Reopening Pack The Charity Retail Association has updated its Charity Shop Reopening Pack to include the very latest government guidance. Find out more