Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund Originally announced in the Budget on 11 March, the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG) will be delivered by local authorities in England. Relief from business rates The original measures have now been significantly enhanced in light of the business closures as a result of the current pandemic,…

What other options do I have available to me? If you are not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) – for example, if you are self-employed or earning below the Lower Earnings Limit of £118 per week – and you have COVID-19 or are advised to self-isolate, you can now more easily make a claim for Universal Credit or New Style…

Financial support for those impacted by coronavirus Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak unveiled unprecedented government aid for the self-employed. There are around five million people who are self-employed and freelance across the UK, and many will be relieved to hear that financial support is on the way to help those impacted by coronavirus. Lost income The Self-employment Income Support Scheme…

Delay taking your pension if you can For those people moving closer to retirement who may have been impacted by the recent market volatility, an option to consider is deferring your private pension. If you’re in a defined contribution scheme, delaying when you claim means that you leave your pension pot invested for longer, so you could secure a bigger pension…

No renter in either social or private accommodation will be forced out of their home More than a fifth of UK households live in privately rented accommodation. The Government has introduced measures to protect renters affected by coronavirus (COVID-19). This radical package of measures protects renters and landlords affected by coronavirus – and with these in force, no renter in either…

In order to make the most of the lovely weather and respect Social Distancing guidelines, this was our venue for yesterday’s meeting – the Hadleigh office back garden! The hair may be slightly longer and in some cases greyer, but rest assured, as a a business we are very much open and have been throughout all stages of the Coronavirus pandemic….

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated, particularly with investment scams. They can be articulate and financially knowledgeable, with credible websites, testimonials and materials that are hard to distinguish from the real thing. However, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. From simple cons to elaborate schemes, attempts…

How will you pay the bills if you were sick or injured and couldn’t work? There is a growing unease about the economic fallout of coronavirus (COVID-19), with many businesses laying off contractors and putting staff on extended leave, as well as natural worries about contacting the disease. What this crisis has shown is that being unable to work can quickly…

Week 10, Groundhog Day once again. The lock down continues in a watered-down form in England if not in the other home nations as we no longer ‘stay at home’ but stay ‘alert’. Sadly, a global health crisis is now morphing into a political weapon, relying on the science is no longer enough, it is more important to follow the political…

Easing the stress some borrowers will be facing during the pandemic outbreak Mortgage borrowers who have been adversely affected financially by coronavirus (COVID-19) may want to consider requesting to take a mortgage payment holiday on their residential or buy-to-let mortgage for up to three months to help their financial situation. The Government’s policy is aimed at easing the stress some borrowers…