A series of measures have been recently announced to help people, businesses and the economy in the coming winter months.

Job Support Scheme

A new Job Support Scheme will be introduced from 1 November 2020 to protect jobs in businesses facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus.

If you are working fewer than normal hours due to decreased demand, you can still keep your job.

You will need to work a minimum of 20% of your usual hours and your employer will continue to pay you as normal for the hours worked. Alongside this, you will receive 66.67% of your normal pay for the hours not worked – this will be made up of contributions from the employer and the government. This means you will continue to receive at least 73% of your normal wages, up to a cap of £3,125 a month.

Job Entry Targeted Support (JETS)

If you have been unemployed and in receipt of benefits for at least 13 weeks, you can get help with finding work.

JETS scheme is part of the Work and Health programme, a national scheme co-financed by the DWP and European Social Fund. It is delivered in West London through our partner Shaw Trust.

How to take part in the scheme?

There are three ways you can be referred to the JETS scheme:

• Ask your Jobcentre Plus coach to refer you
• Refer yourself by calling 0800 389 0186 or emailing ShawTrustWLA@shaw-trust.org.uk
• Ask the council’s housing department, adult social care team or Work West brokerage team to refer you.

Additional help for the self-employed

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), a grant for self-employed whose businesses have been adversely affected by coronavirus, will now include two additional grants.

First grant

A taxable grant will be available to those who are currently eligible for SEISS and are continuing to actively trade but face reduced demand due to pandemic. The grant will cover three months’ worth of profits from November 2020 to the end of January 2021. This is worth 40% of average monthly profits, up to a total of £3,750.

Second grant

An additional second grant will be available from February 2021 to the end of April 2021.

Courses to help you get back to work

If you’ve lost your job or are at risk of redundancy, we can help you get back to work and develop new skills with our adult learning courses.

Help for businesses

The temporary 15% VAT cut for the tourism and hospitality sectors will be extended until the end of March 2021.

Also, there will be a Local Restrictions Support Grant for businesses impacted by the restrictions on socialising, such as hospitality, accommodation and leisure. We will publish information about the application process when we receive further information from the government.

In addition, businesses will have some flexibility in paying back loans:

• Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lenders can now extend the length of loans from a maximum of six years to ten years, if it will help businesses to repay the loan.
• A new Pay as You Grow flexible repayment system will give businesses flexibility repaying the Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan.