Government encouragement to return to work

Government encouragement to return to work

Following the Prime Minister’s announcement, yesterday it is clear that those who can work from home should continue to do so, anyone who can’t, which includes those in construction (Fencing) and manufacturing, is actively encouraged to go to work but to avoid travelling on public transport where possible.

It was made clear, that this is not the end of lockdown but the start of the Government‘s plan to ‘save lives and restore livelihoods’. Whilst small changes will be introduced over the coming weeks, these will be ‘conditional’ on keeping the rate of infection or R number below 1.0 and a new Covid Alert System will be used to indicate if that is being achieved.

Guidance on safer working for a range of working environments will be published later this week and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) will review the Site Operating Procedures in light of any changes. In the meantime, those procedures are your guide to safe working

“Bounce Back” Loans

The Government has announced a new 100% Government backed loan scheme for small businesses. The scheme is now open.

  • businesses will be able to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 and access the cash within days.
  • loans will be interest free for the first 12 months
  • interest will be charged at a flat 2.5% thereafter
  • loan terms will be up to 6 years.
  • no repayments will be due during the first 12 months.

Businesses will be able to access these loans through a network of accredited lenders, applying online through a short and simple form with only seven questions. Eligible companies will still be subject to standard customer fraud, anti-money laundering (AML) and ‘know your customer’ (KYC) checks prior to any loan being made.

Eligibility

You can apply for a loan if your business:-

  • is based in the UK
  • has been negatively affected by coronavirus
  • was not an ‘undertaking in difficulty’ on 31 December 2019.
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