Business As Usual
As the UK continues through uncertainty about our future and when there will be a return to life as normal pre- Coronavirus in the UK, PW-LA wish to reassure all of our clients and contacts that we are here – we have continued business as usual throughout this crisis. We are genuinely sympathetic to the needs of our clients existing and new, the stresses and financial strains everyone is currently experiencing. Please talk to us without any obligation, we are accessible 24/7 – we will listen, we will advise, we will reassure you with our willingness to assist and get you through these difficult times.
Our client care, case management and communications systems ensure that there has been and will continue to be no disruption to us operating and delivering our legal advice and representation services across our areas of expertise in civil and employment matters. We also wish to assure anyone who has found themselves in any dire situation where they are facing legal proceedings or have to bring legal proceedings that we are genuinely here to guide and help you get through.
We have maintained our ongoing commitment to supporting our clients and contacts throughout this period and at the same time we continue to follow Government advice and guidelines in assisting the smooth running of administering the law through the Courts and Tribunal systems. We are a fully operating virtual and digital dispute resolution service maintaining representation through the Courts and Tribunals be that in person attendance or remotely by telephone and video link. We are experienced and conversant with up to date technology to ensure absolute continuity with representing our client interests.
Although we enter a further period of lockdown, our clients have and will continue to be able to maintain contact with us 24/7, via chat and/or booking an appointment on our website www.pw-la.com; by telephone on 0333 305 0613 or 0203 4681233 or mobile 07484 709 854, email enquiries@pw-la.co.uk, Skype 0208 6388402, Facetime, and Zoom. We also operate an appointment booking system through our website www.patriciawhitelawyer.co.uk, enquiry and onboarding online forms which are relayed directly to us for immediate response.
Coronavirus Job Retention (Furlough) Scheme (“CJRS”) extension
Following the announcement and start of a second lockdown in England, the Chancellor announced a further extension to the CJRS, until the end of March 2021 and a review will be undertaken in January 2021. This was accompanied by a Policy Paper setting out further details on the extension. The extension to the CJRS will apply UK-wide, and the Job Support Scheme remains postponed.
Employers should note the following:
- During the extension, employees can continue to receive 80% of their usual wages, up to the cap of £2,500 per month (pro-rated to the hours not worked).
- Employers will only be required to pay National Insurance and employer pension contributions.
- Neither the employer nor the employee needs to have previously claimed or have been claimed for under the CJRS to make a claim under the extended CJRS as long as eligibility criteria are met.
- An employer can claim for employees who were employed and on their PAYE payroll on 30 October 2020.
- The employer must have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 30 October 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee.
- Employers will have the flexibility to use the CJRS for eligible employees for any amount of time and any shift pattern, including the option to furlough employees full-time.
- Employees who were employed and on the payroll on 23 September 2020 and who were made redundant or stopped working afterwards can be re-employed and claimed for. The employer must have made an RTI submission to HMRC from 20 March 2020 to 23 September 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for those employees.
- For employees who meet the eligibility criteria and were previously furloughed, employers must use the same calculations for calculating reference pay and usual hours. For those employees who meet the criteria of the extended scheme but were not previously eligible under the CJRS, alternative calculations will need to be used.
- The Job Retention Bonus will not be paid in February 2021 due to the extension of the CJRS. Further information is to be published on a ‘retention incentive’ being deployed.
If we can help you, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
