On 5 November, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that as part of the new national lockdown the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been extended until the end of March 2021.  This announcement updates the Prime Minister’s previous announcement on 31 October that the CJRS would be extended for a month until December.

The scheme has also reverted to its original level of support. Furloughed employees will receive 80% of salary for hours not worked and businesses asked only to cover national insurance and employer pension contributions.

The CJRS was due to have ended on 31 October after being scaled back to cover 60% of salaries during that month.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that the scheme will retain the flexible element and furloughed employees will receive 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500.

A statement from the Treasury also confirmed that the Job Support Scheme (JSS), which had been due to launch on 1 November has now been postponed, and will not start until the CJRS has closed.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

‘I’ve always said I would do whatever it takes to protect jobs and livelihoods across the UK – and that has meant adapting our support as the path of the virus has changed.

‘It’s clear the economic effects are much longer lasting for businesses than the duration of any restrictions, which is why we have decided to go further with our support.

‘Extending furlough and increasing our support for the self-employed will protect millions of jobs and give people and businesses the certainty they need over what will be a difficult winter.’

Internet links: GOV.UK news and GOV.UK factsheet

The government has announced that residential property transactions rose 15.6% in August following the introduction of a stamp duty holiday.

The government has announced:

• a rise in sales supports nearly three quarters of a million jobs in the sector – with new homeowners also spending extra cash on decorating, furniture and appliances
• a 30% boost in output in July for the construction sector.

New figures show that house sales rose 15.6% in August following the introduction of the stamp duty holiday, helping to protect nearly three quarters of a million jobs in the housing sector and wider supply chain.

The increase follows a 14.5% rise in July. Residential property transactions in August rose a further 15.6% as more people decided to buy a new home or move house. The increase in transactions came after the Chancellor announced a stamp duty holiday at the start of July that will last until March 2021.

The move has helped to protect nearly 750,000 jobs, benefiting businesses across the housing supply chain and beyond, with the Bank of England estimating that households who move home are much more likely to purchase a range of durable goods, such as furniture, carpets or major appliances.

It is expected that, among others, housebuilders, estate agents, tradespeople, DIY stores, removal and cleaning firms could all benefit from the increased activity.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

‘Every home sold means more jobs protected – helping us to deliver on our Plan for Jobs.

‘But this isn’t just about the housing market. Owners doing up their homes to sell and buyers reinvesting stamp duty savings to make their new house feel like a home are also firing up local businesses, supporting, creating and protecting jobs across the country.’

As part of its Plan for Jobs, the government introduced a temporary stamp duty holiday for residential properties worth up to £500,000, effective from 8 July 2020 until 31 March 2021. The holiday means nine out of ten people getting on or moving up the property ladder will pay no SDLT at all. This measure delivers an average saving of £4,500 in SDLT.

Internet link: gov.uk news

HMRC has sent letters to VAT-registered businesses in Great Britain trading with the EU, or the EU and the rest of the world. They explain what businesses need to do to prepare for new processes for moving goods between Great Britain and the EU from 1 January 2021.

Measures explained in the letter include:

• making sure they have a UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number
• deciding how they will make customs declarations
• checking if their imported goods are eligible for staged import controls.

Internet link: gov.uk letters

Businesses in England that are required to shut because of local interventions will now be able to claim up to £1,500 per property every three weeks.

To be eligible for the grant, a business must have been required to close due to local COVID-19 restrictions. The largest businesses will receive £1,500 every three weeks they are required to close. Smaller businesses will receive £1,000.

Payments are triggered by a national decision to close businesses in a high incidence area. Each payment will be made for a three-week lockdown period. Each new three week lockdown period triggers an additional payment.

Internet link: gov.uk news