April 22, 2020

The Government Relaxes the rules to help businesses during COVID-19 Pandemic

by eswalton in COVID19, Financial Planning

 

During the current pandemic, the government has temporarily relaxed the rules in the following areas:

  • Annual leave: Workers can carry over leave into the next 2 years.
  • Delivery drivers’ hours: Rules relaxed for 30 days for drivers supplying supermarkets.
  • Destroying spoilt beer: Temporary measure to help brewers and publicans (Most important!)
  • Energy supply: Guidance from Ofgem on how to manage this.
  • Eviction protection for commercial tenants: A ban on eviction for businesses who cannot pay their rent.
  • Filing accounts and annual statements: 3-month extension from Companies House.
  • Gender pay gap reporting: Deadline suspended for one year.
  • Hotel accommodation for key workers: Letter to hotel chief executives allowing them to offer accommodation to support key workers and vulnerable people.
  • Intellectual property services alterations: Patent applications.
  • MOTs suspended: vehicle owners given a 6-month exemption.
  • Off-payroll working rules (IR35): The new rules have been delayed by 12 months.
  • Personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer: New suppliers will be able to bring products to market more quickly and easily.
  • Pubs and restaurants to operate as takeaways: Pubs and restaurants will not need planning permission.
  • Right-to-work checks: Temporary adjustments will make it easier for employers to carry out. (This will probably have made it easier to fly in the Romanian workers to pick fruit.)
  • Taxable expenses: Find out what is taxable while employees are working from home.

Written By: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy – Published 8 April 2020

The Government list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rules-that-have-been-relaxed-to-help-businesses-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic

A note of caution though…THE GOVERNMENT HAS NOT RELAXED SAFETY CERTIFICATES ON GAS APPLIANCES FOR LANDLORDS AND TENANTS. IF YOU ARE A LANDLORD OR TENANT, THEN IT MUST STILL BE RENEWED.