BEIS Coronavirus Businesses and Employers Bulletin

Please see below from The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Government boost to rapid workplace testing

An online portal has been launched to make it even easier for business in the private sector to get involved and find out more about offering rapid testing in the workplace. Business that are open during lockdown can now sign up to rapid testing programmes that identify cases of Covid-19 in employees who are not showing symptoms, to help stop the spread of Covid-19, and ensure vital public and economic services can continue.  

Businesses can register to order coronavirus rapid lateral flow tests for employees if:

• Your business is registered in England
• You employ 50 people or more
• Your employees cannot work from home

Testing is key to breaking the chains of transmission. Around one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and may be unknowingly spreading the virus. This expansion of testing will find more positive cases, keeping workers who cannot work from home unknowingly passing on the virus and protecting vital public services. For more information, click here.

Financial Support 

Bounce Back Loan – new payment flexibilities 

Bounce Back Loan borrowers will now have the option to tailor payments according to their individual circumstances. Pay as You Grow repayment flexibilities now provide businesses with the following options to:

• Extend the length of the loan from six years to ten
• Make interest-only payments for six months, with the option to use this up to three times throughout the loan
• Pause repayments entirely for up to six months
The scheme is open to applications until 31 March 2021. Apply for a coronavirus Bounce Back Loan.

Find out how to pay VAT payments deferred between 20 March and 30 June 2020

You can pay now or get ready to join the VAT deferral new payment scheme. The new scheme lets you pay your deferred VAT in equal instalments, interest free and choose the number of instalments, from 2 to 11 (depending on when you join). Find out more here.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme 

Guidance on ‘What to include when calculating wages’ has been updated to give more information about non-monetary benefits and employer pension contributions under salary sacrifice.

Payment of Class 2 National Insurance contributions through a Time to Pay arrangement

Guidance has been updated, with added information about payment of Class 2 National insurance contributions, through a Time to Pay arrangement, and paying in instalments