Coronavirus: Quarantine

(asked on 13th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support is available to employers whose staff need to self-isolate for a period during which time statutory sick pay would exceed the amount of state aid received by the employer.


Answered by
Jesse Norman Portrait
Jesse Norman
This question was answered on 21st October 2020

The Government is committed to supporting businesses through this time and has announced an unprecedented level of financial support. This includes but is not limited to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Job Support Scheme, business loans, tax deferrals, the Future Fund, and a year-long business rates holiday for all eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.

Some of these schemes will constitute State Aid, such as the Small Business Grant Scheme and Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Rebate Scheme. Businesses eligible for the SSP rebate may claim grants up to a total of €800,000, as provided for under the EU Commission’s COVID-19 State Aid Temporary Framework. This is a cumulative amount that must consider other forms of aid received as grants under the Framework. There is a lower grant allowance for agriculture at €100,000 and aquaculture and fisheries at €120,000.

Businesses may also be eligible for business support loans such as the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), the Coronavirus Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS). Under the Temporary Framework, loan schemes are not subject to the €800,000 allowance for grants.

In addition, some support schemes do not constitute State Aid. For example, businesses may be eligible for the CJRS, VAT Deferral, and Time to Pay, among others.

The combination of these and other measures constitutes an unprecedented programme of Government support for businesses to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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