HMRC launches coronavirus grants crackdown

Individuals who fraudulently claimed coronavirus grants are in HMRC's sights, following a proposed amendment to Finance Bill 2019-21. In draft legislation posted on GOV.UK, the Revenue outlines how it will be able to recover payments where a recipient was not...

Calls grow to extend support for the self-employed

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is being urged to extend the self-employed income support scheme (SEISS), which ends this weekend. The scheme pays lump sums worth 80% of total profits, up to £2,500 a month, over a three-month period starting from March 2020. More than two...

Furlough scheme covers 8.4m workers

The number of employees who are covered by the Government's furlough scheme has passed 8.4 million, according to the Treasury. That means 30% of the UK's 28m employees were covered by furlough scheme on 24 May 2020. The scheme, formally known as the coronavirus job...

Coronavirus loans’ bill passes £22bn

UK businesses have claimed more than £22 billion in Government loans and guarantees to support their cashflow during the coronavirus crisis. That includes more than £14.18bn in 464,393 bounce-back loans for small businesses, just two weeks after the scheme was...

HMRC fields two million SEISS applications

More than two million people have applied for government grants through the self-employed income support scheme (SEISS). The scheme aims to support self-employed workers in a similar way to the coronavirus job retention scheme for furloughed employees. It offers...