Support for business
The government has announced its latest plans – the second part of a three-phase plan to help with the country’s economic recovery. The aim of this is to give businesses the confidence to keep and hire staff, and provide people with the tools they need to get better jobs.
As part of the plan to support jobs, a Job Retention Bonus is going to be introduced to help companies keep furloughed workers. The plan will also create tens of thousands of jobs nationally through new infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects. It will also protect jobs – particularly in the tourism and hospitality sectors which have been so hard hit by the pandemic. We really hope that these measures give businesses that are suffering in Luton an extra boost they really need during this tough time.
Many pubs, restaurants, bars, hairdressers and barbers opened on 4 July in Luton and our Environmental Health team engaged with businesses across the town to make sure they everything in place to keep staff and customers safe. For any business needing advice we now have a dedicated email address.
Some of the government’s recently announced measures include:
Job Retention Bonus: to help firms keep on furloughed workers, UK Employers will receive a one-off bonus of £1,000 for each furloughed employee who is still employed as of 31 January 2021.
Kickstart Scheme: a £2 billion scheme will also be launched to create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people across the country. Those aged 16-24, claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, will be eligible.
Employment and support schemes: a total of £1.6 billion will be invested in scaling up employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships to help people looking for a job.
Creating jobs: the plan will also create tens of thousands of jobs through bringing forward work on £8.8 billion of new infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects.
VAT: the rate of VAT applied on most tourism and hospitality-related activities will be cut from 20% to 5%.
Eat Out to Help Out: the government’s new discount scheme will provide a 50% reduction for sit-down meals in cafes, restaurants and pubs across the UK from Monday to Wednesday every week throughout August 2020.
Find out how to register your business.