23 January 2022

Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme is now open

The Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme is now open. The Scheme has been reintroduced, meaning that employers can claim for COVID-related sickness absences occurring from 21 December 2021 onwards.

Further details here to make claims:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-back-statutory-sick-pay-paid-to-your-employees-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19

The Scheme had closed in September 2021 but its return was announced as part of the Omicron response.

You're eligible if you:
• Are small/medium sized (fewer than 250 employees as of 30 November 2021)
• have a PAYE payroll system as of 30 November 2021
• have already paid your employees' COVID-related SSP and
• are based in the UK.

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.

Omicron Support Grants

The Government last week announced £700m for the hospitality, leisure and accommodation industries experiencing a decline in footfall as a result of the Omicron variant.

The Omicron Support Grants will be delivered by local authorities in line with central Government guidance. The primary aim of the grants is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors.
However, local authorities have been granted some discretion to determine eligible businesses, and some BPIF members have previously been successful accessing local authority COVID grants on the basis that they predominantly supply to the above sectors. Therefore, it might be worth contacting your local authority about these grants.

The application closure date for the scheme is 28 February 2022.