Blog
Summer Economic Update
8 Jul

When the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, delivered his Spring Budget on 11 March to the packed benches of the House of Commons, the hope was that the economic impact of the Coronavirus outbreak would be ‘V-shaped’, with an immediate bounce back to prosperity.
Since then, nearly four months of onerous restrictions have shuttered large sections of the economy, GDP has fallen by an unprecedented 25 per cent and 9.4 million people have been furloughed from their jobs, leaving the shape of the recovery highly uncertain.
With lockdown measures now having eased substantially, businesses reopening and early signs of growth returning, but some of the Government’s key interventions soon coming to an end, the Chancellor rose to the dispatch box in a half-empty, socially distanced House of Commons.
The speech was billed as a ‘Summer Economic Update’, rather than an ‘Emergency Budget’, leading to speculation as to whether the Chancellor would announce much of significance or adopt a wait-and-see approach, leaving bold announcements for the Autumn Budget.
It turned out, as things tend to, that what came to pass was somewhere in the middle with the speech being used to unveil the Government’s Plan for Jobs, described by the Chancellor as the second phase in the Government’s economic response to the crisis.
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Job Retention Bonus
- Kickstart Scheme and measures to help people find work
- Stamp Duty Land Tax Holiday and job creation measures
- VAT cut for Hospitality and Tourism sectors
- Eat Out to Help Out
- Conclusion
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Job Retention Bonus
The first major announcement from the Chancellor was the confirmation that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will close, as planned, at the end of October, arguing that “leaving the furlough scheme open forever gives people false hope that it will always be possible to return to the jobs they had before”.
The scheme currently offers employers grants worth 80 per cent of a furloughed employee’s usual salary up to a cap of £2,500 a month plus the associated Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions. Furloughed employees will be paid 80 per cent of their usual pay up to a cap of £2,500 a month until the end of the scheme in October and, since the beginning of July have been able to return to work part-time, with employers claiming a grant only in respect of usual hours not worked.
The Chancellor’s announcement confirms that grants from the scheme will cease to cover Employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions from August. In September, the value of grants will fall to 70 per cent of usual wages up to £2,187.50 a month with employers making up 10 per cent. Finally, in October, the grant will fall to 60 per cent of usual wages up to £1,875 a month, with employers expected to make up 20 per cent.
However, the Chancellor looked to cushion the blow with the announcement of a Job Retention Bonus. The new scheme will see the taxpayer give employers £1,000 for each previously furloughed employee they retain and keep in employment until January, as long as they are paid at least £520 a month. Further details of the scheme are expected later in July.
Kickstart Scheme and measures to help people find work
Moving to his plans to support people in finding jobs, the Chancellor announced the Kickstart Scheme, which will provide £2 billion to support the creation of “high quality” six-month work placements for 16 to 24 year-olds on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.
The taxpayer will provide employers that offer the placements funding equivalent to 100 per cent of the relevant level of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for 25 hours a week. It will also cover the associated Employer NICs and minimum automatic enrolment pension contributions.
Outlining further plans to support people in finding jobs, the Chancellor confirmed 10 additional measures, including funding for traineeships and employers that hire new apprentices, as well as funding for several careers and job-finding programmes.
The apprenticeships funding will provide £2,000 to employers in England for every apprentice hired under the age of 25 and £1,500 for each newly hired apprentice aged 25 or older. This funding is in addition to schemes already in place to support employers in taking on apprentices.
Stamp Duty Land Tax Holiday and job creation measures
Housing, construction and infrastructure were at the core of the measures announced by the Chancellor to catalyse job creation, with a temporary cut to Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) by raising the nil-rate band from £125,000 to £500,000 from now until 31 March 2021. The Treasury estimates that, as a consequence, around nine in 10 people buying a main residence will pay no SDLT.
Staying with the focus on housing, the Chancellor announced a £2 billion Green Homes Grant for homeowners and landlords, covering two-thirds of the cost, up to a cap of £5,000 per household, towards making homes more energy-efficient, with more for low-income households.
These measures came in addition to £5 billion of infrastructure spending announced a week earlier by the Prime Minister and came on top of various other measures targetted at the housing and construction sectors.
VAT cut for Hospitality and Tourism Sectors
Before the speech, there was considerable speculation about whether there would be a VAT cut, as had been called for by at least two former Chancellors, and, if so, whether this would see the rate cut in general or targeted at specific sectors.
In the event, Chancellor opted against a general cut to the rate of VAT, opting instead to cut the rate for the Hospitality and Tourism sectors from 20 per cent to five per cent. The measures relate specifically to food and non-alcoholic drinks and to accommodation and admission to attractions, with further details expected to be published later.
The change comes into effect on Wednesday 15 July 2020 and will be in place temporarily until 12 January 2021.
Perhaps the most eye-catching of the measures announced by the Chancellor was the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which will provide a discount of 50 per cent of up to £10 a person on eat-in meals, including non-alcoholic drinks, at participating establishments on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August.
A website for restaurants, cafes and pubs to use to sign-up for the scheme is expected to launch on Monday 13 July 2020.
The measures outlined by the Chancellor continue to put support for jobs firmly at the centre of the Government’s approach to rebuilding the economy as we emerge from the Coronavirus outbreak.
However, with today’s measures expected to cost around a further £30 billion, it remains to be seen how they will be funded in the long-term, with the Chancellor having previously hinted at tax changes in future Budgets.
Archive
- Requests for exemption from publication of furlough claims must be submitted by Monday 25 January
- Only a few days are left to submit applications for the third SEISS grant
- What could Budget 2021 have in store?
- HM Revenue & Customs increases the threshold for Self-Assessment online payment plan service to £30,000
- Independent commission argues against annual wealth tax but advocates a one-off charge
- Could the Government be about to launch a new permanent state-backed small business loan scheme?
- HMRC issues new warning over lockdown fraudsters
- FSB proposes move to turn Covid emergency debt into shared ownership schemes
- VAT – Post-Brexit arrangements
- Insurance industry to pay out on COVID-19 business interruption claims
- Are you making full use of the Government’s COVID-19 financial support package?
- Government extends agricultural visa scheme to fill jobs left by EU workers
- Brexit: UK Trader Scheme to support movement of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland
- Coronavirus furlough and loan schemes further extended
- Brexit trade deal negotiations continue as businesses warned to prepare for a ‘no deal’ scenario
- VAT under the Northern Ireland Protocol
- Northern Ireland customs duty arrangements confirmed
- Government launches new export finance guarantee scheme
- How can your business prepare for customs and VAT after Brexit?
- UK launches points-based post-Brexit immigration system
- Business Secretary writes to professional services sector ahead of end of Brexit transition period
- HMRC updates Statutory Residence Test due to COVID-19
- Scammers are targeting Self-Assessment taxpayers, says HMRC
- Eat Out to Help Out compliance checks underway
- Businesses face legal action over unpaid business rates
- HMRC publishes consultation on MTD for Corporation Tax
- HM Revenue & Customs issues Capital Gains Tax reminder
- Virtual Christmas parties eligible for £150 annual function exemption
- Grandparents set to increase gifting following pandemic and families set to inherit more than expected
- Access to European Union VAT refund system to end on 31 March 2021, HMRC confirms
- Brexit: How to claim grant funding to help cover the costs of completing new customs declarations
- Companies House to scrap paper reminder letters
- Third round of Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opens on Monday with tighter eligibility criteria
- Important deadlines approach for the furlough scheme
- Spending Review highlights long-term economic impact of Coronavirus pandemic
- The New COVID-19 Tier System
- VAT after the Brexit transition
- IFS predicts tax rises of more than £40 billion a year by the middle of the decade
- More than 50,000 people claim working from home tax relief through HM Revenue & Customs online portal
- HMRC called on to simplify the administration of tax reliefs
- A quarter of businesses don’t think they will be ready for post-Brexit Britain
- HMRC warns taxpayers still aren’t ready for Making Tax Digita
- Homebuyers need to start purchases this month to take advantage of Stamp Duty savings
- Daily penalties waived for Self-Assessment late filing
- Furlough scheme update – Publication of claims and employees serving notice
- Extended Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme FAQ
- Government extends furlough scheme and provides a boost to SEISS
- Government extends further help to businesses and the self-employed during national lockdown
- National Lockdown – Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Business Support Update
- Government extends further support to businesses affected by COVID-19
- HM Revenue & Customs publishes further details of the Job Support Scheme
- Annual Investment Allowance – Time is running out
- Accounting for mobile phone use
- Time to prepare (once again) for the VAT reverse charge
- Is the Government considering a National Living Wage freeze?
- Companies House reforms to combat fraud and assist businesses
- Price of plastic bags in England to double to 10p
- New Coronavirus regulations place self-isolation obligations on employers
- Latest SEISS grants introduce new qualifying conditions
- Businesses may be entitled to insurance pay-out after important judgment
- Chancellor expands Job Support Scheme and grants to businesses facing new COVID-19 restrictions
- Government issues new guidance on the Job Retention Bonus
- Download the Government’s guide to the Job Support Scheme
- Important message to clients and friends: We are working remotely on recommendation from the PM, please read the following update
- Chancellor announces new Job Support Scheme and package of business support measures
- Change to Companies House bank detailsanies House bank details
- More than £1 billion in tax reliefs for creative industry
- Advisory Fuel Rates for next quarter come into effect
- Key dates for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- The first Child Trust Funds (CTFs) can now be claimed
- Four in five SMEs are confident over their Coronavirus recovery
- HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) writes to 3,000 employers over furlough claims
- Government to launch new local lockdown grants
- CBILS ends on 30th September 2020
- How will you rebuild and recover? Funding launched to cover cost of professional advice
- Tax changes outlined in draft Finance Bill 2020 – 2021
- Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme expanded to more businesses
- VAT treatment of imported goods up to £135 to change under new rules
- HM Revenue & Customs publishes Job Retention Bonus guidance
- Small business Covid recovery boosted by £20million in new grants
- HM Revenue & Customs sets out Making Tax Digital plans for VAT and Income Tax
- HM Revenue & Customs sets out details of penalties for breaches of furlough and self-employment scheme rules
- Reminder: VAT payment deferral period has ended
- Banks list top 10 Coronavirus scams
- HM Revenue & Customs issues ‘nudge’ letters to people suspected of having undeclared overseas assets
- Second round of Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opens on Monday
- Key dates for Coronavirus support schemes, tax and Companies House
- Government extends childcare funding for families affected by the pandemic
- Green Homes Grant guidance published
- Eat Out to Help Out opens for claims
- Key dates for Coronavirus support schemes
- Eat out to help out
- New legislation introduced to protect redundancy pay of furloughed workers
- Seven tips to get start-ups off the ground
- Government confirms Coronavirus tax concessions in amended Finance Bill
- Future Fund expanded to more businesses
- Research finds lack of knowledge, information and skills are key barriers to Making Tax Digital compliance
- New corporate insolvency rules come into effect
- £84 billion of R&D tax credits unclaimed – Could you be eligible for a share of this funding?
- Government confirms Job Retention Bonus of £1,000