Latest News

Holiday Pay Zero Hours Workers   Employers should be aware of a significant change in how holiday pay for hourly paid irregular hours workers is calculated. Following the recent Supreme Court decision in Harpur Trust v Brazel clarifies the position on how holiday pay for irregular workers on permanent contracts should be calculated. Who is impacted…

Veterans National Insurance Relief for Employers UK businesses hiring former members of the UK armed forces in their first year of civilian employment can save thousands of pounds through Veterans National Insurance relief. Through this scheme, businesses hiring military veterans can save thousands of pounds in employee National Insurance contributions. From 6 April 2022, employers…

HMRC have made changes to Work From Home Allowance tax relief from 6th April 2022. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the UK government encouraged the public to work from home where possible. This guidance was followed by some new rules on claiming tax relief, helping to combat the inevitable rise…

Minimum Wage Rates 2022/23 Employers should be aware that all minimum wage rates come into force from 1st April. New Rates These rates are for the National Living Wage (for those aged 23 and over) and the National Minimum Wage (for those of at least school leaving age). The rates change on 1 April every…

Staff could be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if they cannot work because they’re self-isolating for any of the following reasons: they have coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms or have tested positive, someone in their household has symptoms or has tested positive, they are told to self-isolate by an NHS test and trace service

HM Treasury Announces The Return Of The SSP Rebate Scheme. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has announced additional support available to businesses as the latest coronavirus variant causes concern. The Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Rebate Scheme restarts again from today (21 December 2021), and claims can be made retrospectively from mid-January. The Scheme is open…

Statutory Sick Pay Self-Certification Period Temporarily Extended To Support Vaccine Rollout   In an amendment to the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) legislation, employees will be allowed to self-certificate for up to 28 days starting from 17 December through to 26 January 2022. This will apply to workers whose spell of incapacity for work commenced before 17 December 2021(but…

New Minimum Wage Rates 2021 New minimum wage rates come into force on 1st April 2021 There are also changes to the age bands this year. The highest level of minimum wage starts at 23 rather than 25. The new rates are: Age 23 and above                  £8.91 Age 21 to 22                          …

Furlough Update April 2021 The CJRS will now run until 30 September 2021. A key change on the Furlough update April 2021 is that for claim periods starting on or after 1 May 2021, the scheme can be used to make claims for employees who were employed on 2 March 2021 (and for whom an…

Furlough for Home Schooling HMRC has updated its furlough guidance to confirm that the scheme can be used where employees are unable to work because they are caring for children while schools are closed. Earlier this week, the government added a new section to its guidance that states employees are eligible for the grant and…

Furlough Scheme Extended throughout the UK to March 31st.   Businesses and people across the UK given certainty over winter months with further support announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak.  The furlough scheme will now be extended until the end of March across all nations.  Workers across the United Kingdom will benefit from increased support with a five-month…

The Original Furlough Scheme is back: Who can claim? Originally introduced in March, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended beyond the original October deadline. What has changed? The Furlough scheme had been winding down over the last couple of months, with 70% government contribution to hours not worked in September and the employer paying…

Job Support Scheme Factsheet What is it? The Job Support Scheme is designed to protect viable jobs in businesses who are facing lower demand over the winter months due to Covid-19, to help keep their employees attached to the workforce. The company will continue to pay its employee for time worked, but the burden of…

What Happens If An Employer Over-Claims Through The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme? 9th June 2020 HMRC recently updated its guidance on how to claim on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), in relation to need to do to rectify the situation if claimants have over-claimed. Anybody who has made an error in their claim which…

Flexible Furlough From 1 July Under Revised CJRS   Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will apply a month earlier than expected. From 1 July the scheme will allow part-time working, but staff must have been furloughed by 10 June to be eligible. The Chancellor has announced the government’s plans to change the CJRS which…

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Rebate Scheme Launched The Statutory Sick Pay Reclaim Scheme will be open to employers who had fewer than 250 employees as at 28th February and also had an active PAYE scheme as at that date. The Coronavirus outbreak has introduced two new reasons, into the SSP regulations, for incapacity. These are:…

To make a claim under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. If you’re eligible for the scheme, there are things that you can do now to be ready when the system is up and running expected to be on 20th April. You’ll need to provide the following to make a claim: The bank account number and…

Furlough scheme cut-off date extended to 19 March Thousands of more employees will able to receive support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) after the eligibility date was extended to 19 March 2020, the government announced today. eligibility cut-off date for Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme extended to 19 March 2020 the change will mean…

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) – FAQ’s The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will allow employers to reclaim 80% of the salaries of any employees who have been reclassified as ‘furloughed’ workers, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. This will be paid in the form of a grant provided by the government. The definition…

We understand that HMRC has advised that PAYE directors ARE included in the Job Retention Scheme for furloughed workers. This is on the same basis as other employed workers but will not include dividends. In addition, directors must not be working – ie fee-earning – but can carry out admin and compliance functions. If customers…

HMRC have issued more guidance regarding the job retention scheme which answers some of the questions that were raised following the initial announcement. Key points include: Employers can claim 80% of furloughed employees’ normal salary, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer NI and minimum auto-enrolment employer pension contributions. Employees hired after 28…

Covid 19 Payroll Briefing   The Government has declared the coronavirus – Covid 19 to be a “serious and imminent threat to public health” and that it is highly likely that the virus will become widespread.    It has been estimated that up to 20% of the UK workforce may be off sick at the…

Employers Allowance Changes from April 2020   Since April 2014, certain businesses are eligible to claim an Employment Allowance. This allowed businesses to reduce their employer National Insurance bill by up to £3,000. From 6 April 2020, this is being increased to £4000pa but there are also changes that mean larger businesses who currently benefit…

SSP CHANGES TO DEAL WITH COVID-19   The recent budget announced support for those affected by COVID-19 which includes temporary changes to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The measures are aimed at helping to ensure that employees don’t lose out financially where they are asked to stay at home to protect others in the workplace from…