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22 Mar 2024

Rob Brown, co-director of Dalby Forest Cycle Hub, a not-for-profit hire scheme has been nominated for the Tourism Superstar 2024 award, run by VisitEngland.

21 Mar 2024

ACS (The Association of Convenience Stores) and the Federation of Independent Retailers (The Fed) have both welcomed a new report published by the Association of Police and Crime...

21 Mar 2024

As reported by Healthstores UK, new data contained in the 2024 Soil Association Organic Market report shows that independent retailers delivered an impressive 10% growth in 2023, with...

21 Mar 2024

An independent bottle shop and bar in Cheltenham has been named as the UK's Independent Beer and Wine Retailer of the Year 2024 at the Drinks Retailing Awards. 

21 Mar 2024

A number of organisations, including Bira (the British Independent Retailers’ Association), other trade associations, BIDs and unions have met with officials from the Welsh Government to...

21 Mar 2024

The British Independent Retailers’ Association (Bira) has reacted to data released by PwC and the Local Data Company exploring the state of the UK retail landscape.

8 Mar 2024

Daniel Blackham, editor of industry magazine BikeBiz, has been writing about his experience of completing the Cytech technical one qualification at training provider Spokes People in Milton...

6 Mar 2024

Cytech partner Activate Cycle Academy, the largest and most recognised training provider of bike maintenance and technical training courses to the UK’s cycle industry, recently welcomed a...

6 Mar 2024

The Greeting Card Association has reacted to a BBC Panorama programme lifting the lid on Royal Mail management prioritising parcel delivery over letters, which it says are in contradiction of...

4 Mar 2024

Pop star Kate Bush has been announced as an ambassador for this year's Record Store Day, on 20 April.

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The latest update from ActSmart's Business Insurance partner

Posted on

In light of the current difficulties and the drive for employees to work from home, Butterworth Spengler have compiled the following general information to be considered:

COVID-19 - Considerations for working from home

Butterworth Spengler have also sent an update in regard to their Business Interruption Insurance policies:

Business Interruption Insurance and COVID-1

 


Other COVID-19 updates

ActSmart are providing regular email updates on the latest information and advice tailored for retail businesses.

To read the full list of updates visit the ActSmart website here.
 


Press conference highlights


Highlights from Friday's press conference with the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are included below. Further details of the measures below are due to be published by the Government shortly.

The PM announced that he is telling cafes, pubs, bars and restaurants to close tonight as soon as they reasonably can and not to open from Saturday 21st March. They can however continue to provide takeaway services to customers. Nightclubs, gyms, cinemas and leisure centres are also advised to close.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a package of measures aimed at helping workers, including:

  • Coronavirus job retention scheme: The government is going to help to pay people's wages through a Coronavirus job retention scheme. Any employer will be eligible for the scheme, and will be able to apply for a grant to cover 80% of the salary of retained workers up to £2,500 per month. Workers in any part of the UK can retain their job even if their employer cannot afford to pay them. The scheme will be open for an initial three month period, with no limit to the amount of funding available for the scheme.
  • Extension of the interest free period on loans: The Coronavirus business loan interruption scheme will be interest free for 12 months (previously 6 months). Those loans will be available from Monday.
  • Deferring the next quarter of VAT payments for businesses: No business will pay VAT from now until the end of June. Businesses will have until the end of the year to pay those bills.
  • Strengthening the safety net: Universal credit allowance will be increased by £1000 over the next 12 months. Working tax credit will also be increased by £1000 over the same period.
  • Supporting the self-employed: The Government is suspending the minimum income floor for anyone affected by coronavirus. The next self-assessment payments will also be deferred to January 2021.
  • Raising awareness: There will be a national advertising campaign launching in the coming days to highlight support for businesses.
  • Rental support: £1bn support for renters, local housing allowance will now cover 30% of renting costs

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