HMRC confirms that people not working their normal hours because of coronavirus will retain entitlement to their usual tax credits

Claimants do not need to contact HMRC as they will be treated as working their normal hours until the Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme close Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed that people who are not working their normal hours because of coronavirus will retain entitlement to their usual tax credits.

Setting out the new measure today, the government advises that -

Those working reduced hours due to coronavirus or those being furloughed by their employer will not have their tax credits payments affected if they are still employed or self-employed.

These customers do not need to contact HMRC about this change. We will treat customers as working their normal hours until the Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme close, even if they are not using either scheme.

We’ll use the information we hold about the number of hours they normally work.

Customers can still report any other changes in income, childcare and hours in the normal way. However, they must tell us if they or their partner lose their job, are made redundant or cease trading.

NB - under normal rules for employees, set out in HMRC’s technical guidance on tax credit entitlement when laid off, they are treated as engaged in remunerative work for four weeks after the lay off, or until they are laid off indefinitely if shorter, so that they continue to receive tax credits for that period (in addition to any entitlement to a four-week run-on).

For more details see Tax credits customers will continue to receive payments even if working fewer hours due to COVID-19.

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Updated information set out in 'understanding universal credit' pages on gov.uk

Only critical workers can access universal credit childcare while government's response to coronavirus is in place, the DWP has said.

The DWP has updated information on its 'understanding universal credit' pages - New to Universal Credit and Employment and benefits support to advise that, in respect of childcare costs during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak - 

'If you’re already claiming universal credit, any childcare costs that you have paid for and reported, for childcare that has been provided, will be reimbursed as part of your universal credit claim as normal. Any childcare costs that you have paid for and intend to report, for childcare that has been provided, will also be reimbursed as part of your claim as normal.

Whilst the government’s response to coronavirus is in place, unless you are a critical worker you will not be able to access universal credit childcare.

NB - further information about who qualifies as a critical worker is set out in Guidance for schools, childcare providers, colleges and local authorities in England on maintaining educational provision.

In respect of childcare that is paid for in advance during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the DWP advises -

'If you pay (and report) advance childcare costs for a future assessment period, but no childcare actually takes place during that time, you will not be able to reclaim those costs as part of your universal credit claim.

Your childcare provider might ask to keep an advance payment, saying that it will cover your costs whenever your childcare resumes. Please note that you will only be able to reclaim these costs if the childcare resumes during the assessment period in which you made the payment, or within the next 2 assessment periods after that.

Your childcare provider might ask for a sum of money to keep a place for your child – this is sometimes known as a retainer. This is not eligible for reimbursement unless it is actually an advance payment for childcare costs.'

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The GroceryAid Covid-19 Fund has been established to provide enhanced support for grocery colleagues during this unprecedented period. GroceryAid has raised a fund of £1.5m to ensure support will reach colleagues who need it. 

Crisis Grants

Our non-repayable grants are designed to help those struggling with exceptional hardship caused during Covid-19.

Criteria

• You are currently working in the grocery industry and have done so for one year or more
• You are no longer working in the grocery industry, but previously worked in it for five years or more
• Household net income and savings meet GroceryAid's financial criteria
• The time worked doesn't have to be continuous and can be with multiple companies. 

How to apply

Complete the application form online or if you would prefer to post or email download the application here

You will be asked to provide evidence of grocery employment and bank statements showing household income and expenditure 

https://www.groceryaid.org.uk/get-help/covid-19-fund-about/

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DWP Minister also advises Select Committee that the Department is ‘adopting a very sympathetic, claimant supportive view’ when undertaking paper-based reviews

The DWP Minister for Disabled People has advised the Work and Pensions Committee that the Department is automatically extending disability benefit awards by six months if they are due for reassessment in the next three months.

In the first online evidence session held by the Work and Pensions Select Committee earlier today, with DWP Ministers and senior officials exploring how the Department has responded to the coronavirus outbreak, DWP Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work Justin Tomlinson responded to a question on how the system of paper and telephone assessments of disability claims was working since the decision to stop face-to-face assessments was taken in March 2020 advising that -

‘What we have done, for those that would be due for a reassessment in the next three months, we’ve automatically extended their benefit by six months. If their condition has deteriorated, and they feel they would be entitled to more money, they can still request a reassessment but otherwise they are automatically extended.

For those new claimants, the terminally ill, and for those who ask for it, we are seeking to do it by telephone, by paper based reviews adopting a very sympathetic, claimant supportive view of this because we recognise that there are increasing challenges to be able to get adequate medical evidence so we are relying very much on the claimant’s case as they explain it.’

In addition, Mr Tomlinson highlights how the Department’s experiences of assessing claims by paper-based reviews during the COVID-19 outbreak will provide valuable lessons on using medical evidence and claimant evidence in a better way, which in turn should reduce the need for face-to-face assessments in future -

‘…  this is actually very beneficial for us because we were due to publish the Green Paper that was looking at the assessment process, claimant experience, recognising there’s anxiety amongst claimants, what more could we do to reduce that. And actually through, in effect, the enforced changes we have had to do to handle the COVID-19 emergency, we are actually testing those and I actually think that when we return to normal state I think there will be some very valuable lesson about how we can better use medical evidence, oral evidence from claimants and increase the proportion of cases that are done as a paper-based review.’

Today's Work and Pensions Committee evidence session can be viewed at parliamentlive.tv

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OPFS has secured funding from Scottish Children’s Lottery to enable us to provide vital support to single parents across Scotland during the coronavirus crisis and lockdown.

We aim to help families on low incomes who are under intense financial pressure due to the coronavirus crisis and are struggling.  

OPFS Coronavirus Emergency Energy Fund can provide a one-off payment of £50 to single parent families in Scotland who need help with their energy bills (e.g. gas/electricity).

https://opfs.org.uk/coronavirus-emergency-energy-fund/

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Our role is to help you or a member of your family if you are experiencing distress. We can offer some tips and techniques that can help and offer guidance and support by phone or virtual appointment. So if you, or a member of your family, is understandably struggling right now due to the changes COVID-19 has brought to your life please contact us for support and advice. We can offer a few appointments to help you through this difficult time so you feel more able to cope.

It is important that we get you timely access to the support you need.  You can complete a Self-Referral Form by clicking the following link below:

https://covid19.nhsgrampian.org/pages/for-the-public/mental-health-covid-19/what-is-the-grampian-psychological-response-hub/

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Economy Secretary says new Hardship Fund will be open for applications by the end of April 2020 and will allocate grants in early May

The Scottish Government has confirmed details of the support it is providing to the recently self-employed who are excluded from the UK’s Self-employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS).

NB - a key feature of the UK’s SEISS is that it is available to those who were already in self-employment with a tax return for 2019, therefore excluding all those who became self-employed in the 2019/2020 tax year.

Confirming allocations from £100 million of new funding to support the self-employed and businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in a statement to the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said that £34 million has been used to set up a 'Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund', that will be open for applications from newly self-employed people facing hardship by the end of April 2020, and will start awarding grants of £2,000 in early May.

Outlining why the additional funding is needed, Ms Hyslop said -

‘The UK Government has the immediate fiscal and macro-economic powers to respond to this economic crisis, and have made substantial, welcome commitments to support businesses and employees.

However, it doesn’t fully meet the needs of Scottish businesses. There are still significant gaps in both the Job Retention Scheme and the support for the self-employed. Last week, along with the Finance Secretary, I wrote to the Chancellor outlining the changes that need to be made.

I am also pressing the UK Government to urgently share data on implementation of support schemes so we are better able to tailor our support to businesses.'

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: Economy Secretary's statement 21 April 2020 is available from gov.scot

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Osprey are always looking at ways we can support our tenants through the current pandemic situation and make tenants aware of the support and services we can provide – if you could benefit from wellbeing calls, food bank referrals or discuss the financial impact and see how we can assist please use our line tenancy support referral form - https://form.jotform.com/Ospreyhc/tenant-support-referral

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A big Thank You from everyone at Osprey Housing to Brewdog and Aberlour Child Care Trust for the supply of Brewdog Hygenic Hand Rub to our front line staff. This will help to keep our staff and tenants safe as we continue our work during this difficult time for everyone.

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