Covid-19 Guidance (pt 2)

The Self Employed 
Every self-employed person can now access, in full, Universal Credit at a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay for employees
 https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/coronavirus/
 
Support for individuals 

• the Universal Credit standard allowance has been increased, for the next 12 months, by £1,000 a year.  
• the Working Tax Credit basic element has been increased, for the next 12 months, by £1,000 a year.  
• increasing housing benefit and Universal Credit, so that the Local Housing Allowance will cover at least 30% of market rents in your area.  
• The self-assessment tax payments due on 31st July 2020 will be deferred until January 2021. No penalties or interest for late payment will be charged in the deferral period.  
• Sick pay o You can get £94.25 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you’re too ill to work. It’s paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks.
  • If you are staying at home because of COVID-19 you can now claim SSP. This includes individuals who are caring for people in the same household and therefore have been advised to do a household quarantine.
  • To check your sick pay entitlement, you should talk to your employer, and visit the Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) page here for more information: https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay  
• SSP start date o SSP to be paid from day 1, rather than day 4, of your absence from work if you are absent from work due to sickness or need to stay at home due to COVID-19. Once the legislation has been passed, this will apply retrospectively from 13 March. You should talk to your employer if you are eligible for SSP and need to claim.  
• Proof of sickness - If you have COVID-19 or are advised to stay at home, you can get an ‘isolation note’ by visiting NHS 111 online, rather than visiting a doctor. For COVID-19 cases this replaces the usual need to provide a ‘fit note’ (sometimes called a ‘sick note’) after 7 days of sickness absence.  
• If you are not eligible for 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 stay at home, you can now more easily make a claim for Universal Credit

 
https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/coronavirus/ or new style Employment and Support Allowance.
​https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

• If you are eligible for new style Employment and Support Allowance, it will now be payable from day 1 of sickness, rather than day 8, if you have COVID-19 or are advised to stay at home.