Further to the Government’s announcement on Tuesday 21 December 2021, additional support is being made available for certain businesses.
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) will also be ‘topped up’ so local authorities (LAs) can continue to use their discretion to support other businesses in their area, based on local economic need.
Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) - New round of grants
Applications for this latest round of grants closed at 5pm on Monday 24 January 2022.
Statutory Sick Pay Rebate scheme (SSPRS)
The government is reintroducing the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (SSPRS). This will be a temporary scheme to support employers facing heightened levels of sickness absence due to COVID-19. The SSPRS will refund small and medium-sized employers’ COVID-related SSP costs for up to two weeks per employee. The beneficiaries of the scheme are small and medium-sized employers (i.e. employers with fewer than 250 employees).
Employers will be eligible for the scheme if:
- They are UK-based.
- They employed fewer than 250 employees as of 30 November 2021.
- They had a PAYE payroll system as off 30 November 2021.
- They have already paid their employees’ COVID-related SSP.
Employers will be able to claim the costs for up to two weeks of SSP per employee that has to take time off because of COVID-19. This two-week limit will be reset so an employer will be able to claim up to two weeks per employee regardless of whether they have claimed under the previous scheme for that employee.
It is important to note that due to the announcement only being made at 1pm on Tuesday 21 December, there is little detail issued as yet. More guidance will be published shortly. It is unlikely that any financial support will be made available to us before 4 January. We will however be working hard to prepare for the funding being made available to us to ensure we can pass it on to all eligible businesses as soon as we are able. You do not need to do anything at this time, as we will be in touch again in the New Year as and when we know more detail.
