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Green Home Energy Grant

If you’re a homeowner or residential landlord you can apply for a Green Homes Grant voucher towards the cost of installing energy efficient improvements to your home.  These vouchers are available now!  Apply here.

Improvements could include insulating your home to reduce your energy use or installing low-carbon heating to lower the amount of carbon dioxide your home produces.

You must redeem the voucher and ensure improvements are completed by 31 March 2021.

Vouchers will cover two-thirds of the cost of eligible improvements, up to a maximum government contribution of £5,000.  Additionally, if you receive certain benefits, you may be eligible for a voucher covering 100% of the cost of the improvements. The maximum value is £10,000.

The voucher must be used to install at least 1 primary measure (insulation or low-carbon heating) and secondary measures (including window glazing, draught proofing etc).

For more information on the specific measures, please see the government’s website.

The voucher will cover any labour, material and VAT costs.

You must receive at least 1 quote from a Green Homes Grant registered installer in order to apply for a voucher.

Once your voucher has been issued, the installer can begin the work.

To redeem your voucher you’ll need to confirm that:

• the installation was completed satisfactorily before the voucher expiry date
• you have received the necessary documents from the installer
• you have paid your share of the costs to the installer (if applicable)
• you meet the relevant eligibility requirements

You will need to provide a dated copy of the invoice issued by the installer.

If you would like any help with applying for this voucher, or information on any other government support available, please feel free to contact us for a free meeting with a Chartered Management Accountant.

0121 777 5361

New £500 Self Isolation Grant

Amid the recent announcement of tougher restrictions across the UK, the Government has set up a new self isolation grant to help support those who need financial help while they self-isolate. We are now told to go into a 14-day quarantine if we have been notified by the NHS Test and Trace system that we have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus.
Boris Johnson said earlier this week: “I don’t want to see a situation where people don’t feel they are financially able to self-isolate. That’s why we’re also introducing a new £500 Test and Trace Support payment for those on low incomes who are required by NHS Test and Trace to remain at home to help stop the spread of the virus.”

When will the grant be available?
The new grant will be released on October 12 once local authorities have set up the scheme. Anyone who is told by the NHS they must self-isolate from September 28 onwards will be able to claim this grant if they are eligible.

Who is eligible for the self isolation grant?
The grant will be available to those who are:
• Told by NHS Track and Trace to self-isolate
• Unable to work from home and will receive less income as a result
• Employed or self-employed
• Currently receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, Income-Based -Employment and Support Allowance, Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance, -Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.

If you have any questions regarding this matter, or on any other government schemes currently available, feel free to contact us on 0121 777 5361 to arrange a free meeting with a Chartered Management Accountant.

VAT Payment Deferrals

The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announced a VAT payments deferral on 20 March to support businesses suffering with cash flow problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you’re a UK VAT registered business and have a VAT payment due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020, you have the option to:

• defer the payment until a later date

• pay the VAT due as normal

By cancelling your Direct Debit to HMRC with your bank, you will opt in for the deferral. However, if you do not cancel this, HMRC may attempt to automatically charge VAT on receipt of your VAT return. There is no need to inform HMRC if you wish to defer your payment. If you wish to, you can continue to make payments as normal during the deferral period.

HMRC will also carry on paying repayment claims as normal. You must continue to submit VAT returns as normal. VAT payments due following the end of the deferral period will have to be paid.

Further information about how to repay the VAT you’ve deferred will be available soon.

If you would like free advice from a Chartered Management Accountant during this period, please do not hesitate to contact us– we would be more than happy to support small businesses in any way we can!

Covid-19 Birmingham City Council Business Rates Grants

Birmingham City Council have approximately 16,000 business which may be eligible and are adopting a pragmatic, risk-based approach top payment of the Business Rates Grants. This involves making payments directly to business bank accounts via BACS and carrying out pre-validation checks. This targeted approach enables payments to some businesses earlier than others, whilst ensuring that more stringent checks are applied to the medium and higher risk groups:

Lowest Risk

Group A) RV less than £51K, paid up for 2019/20 & bank details held

Group B) RV less than £51K, paid up for 2019/20 but no bank details

Medium Risk

Group C) Qualify for small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) with NIL to pay and bank details

Group D) Qualify for SBRR with NIL to pay, no bank details

Higher Risk

Group E) RV less than £51k with multiple properties linked to PIN in RBIS – mixture of D/D & not.

Birmingham City Council’s Approach to Making Payments

On the 2nd April, an Online form was made available on the BCC website enabling Rate payers to submit their details:

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/xfp/form/714

The website and the Online form contains guidance on how to check the Valuation Agency website https://www.gov.uk/correct-your-business-rates  for the correct Rateable value as well as link and a declaration on State Aid limits www.gov.uk/state-aid; both of which support validation, fraud prevention and the ability to retrieve payments where necessary. The submitting of a form will enable Rate payers to provide business bank details and Revenues staff to carry out other checks against the data provided, but primarily it will enable payments to be made more quickly and efficiently and enable an Audit trail for post payment Government assurance. Validation checks will begin on Monday 6th April in preparation for the processing of payments later in the week.

Whilst every effort is being made to obtain bank account details for businesses to enable the grants to be paid by BACS, where businesses do not contact Birmingham City Council or respond to their requests for bank details, they may be forced with send a small number of grants by cheque.