Support for businesses and workers 😷

We are asked what the UK Government is doing to help small businesses and workers. As many of our customers are business owners or employed by such, here is a summary as it stands at the moment. Please remember it can change at anytime. 

The main point is that the Government is taking measures, and we believe there is no need to worry whether the current extraordinary situation will affect your immigration status in terms of meeting the visa rules. These circumstances will be taken into account when your visa application is considered in the future. 

If you run your own business:  

A migrant-run business will be eligible for support. This is not ‘public funds' and won’t breach an endorsement on your visa (if applicable to your situation). 

There will be exemption from business rates for 12 months and grants for those who don’t pay business rates. Broadly, it will be applicable to businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure. You can read more on the link below including how it will be implemented via your council. 

You probably heard the Government offering to pay (or rather reimburse you) your workers’ sickness pay for 2 weeks if they stay at home, whether they are sick or not. If you are a director of your own company, you are also an employee and also entitled to sickness pay yourself, assuming your earnings are above threshold of £118 per week. 

Since              then, the new measures have been introduced under Job Retention Scheme. Here the Government will reimburse 80% of wages of workers who would have otherwise been made redundant. To avoid mass redundancies, the Government is asking ti designate the employees in question as 'furloughed workers', meaning they aren't working but remain on the books.    

If you are self-employed (without a limited company):   

Initially, the Government offered to claim Universal Credit that would bring the same 2-week sickness pay as for the employees. Since then, however, it has announced that it would pay the self-employed 80% of their income. It will be calculated as average income in the last 3 years.  Details to come. 

If you are employed:  

The above-mentioned sickness pay will apply. 

If you pay mortgage or rent: 

Mortgage ‘holidays’ were proposed to 3 months but there are no details yet. Most banks, however, are already providing a dedicated support line for all matters including a mortgage, credit card, overdraft and access to savings before maturity date where applicable.   

There are no announcements on help with rent, other than a promise to do something. 

  

More details:  

Summary: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses  

Detailed guidance for employers, businesses and employees: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19  

Newspaper: What coronavirus means for your money: Will you get paid to self-isolate? What if schools close? And what if you're laid off? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/news/article-8122675/What-corona-means-money.html  

Visa application process:   

For latest on how the Government offices are working including English test centres in the UK and overseas:   https://1st4immigration-visas.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid-19-what-happens-to-your-uk-visa.html

We   at 1st 4Immigration are working as normal with the documents and applications processed electronically. 

Advice sessions are running over What’s App, Skype, email, phone:  https://www.1st4immigration.com/book-a-consultation/ 

If you have any questions please get in touch.

1st 4Immigration team