The Chancellor has today (21 December 2021) announced that additional support will be available for businesses that have been impacted by the Omicron variant.

The package of support includes a new grant scheme for businesses in hospitality and leisure, a top up to the Additional Restrictions Grant, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme and further funding released through the Culture Recovery Fund.

• Businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises. See the Government’s Fact Sheet here.
• More than £100 million of discretionary funding will be made available via the Additional Restrictions Grant for local authorities in England to support other businesses. Allocation of this funding will be at local authority discretion and the top-up; priority will be given to those local authorities that have distributed the most of their existing allocation.
• Government will also cover the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences for small and medium-sized employers across the UK. Businesses with fewer than 250 employees will be able to apply for reimbursement for the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences, for up to two weeks per employee. Firms will be eligible for the scheme from 21 December, and they will be able to make claims retrospectively from mid-January. See the Government’s Fact Sheet here.
• £30 million of further funding will be made available through the Culture Recovery Fund – cultural organisations in England such as theatres, orchestras and museums can apply for support during the winter.

The Chancellor has also asked HMRC to offer businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in particular the option of a short delay through the Time to Pay arrangement, and payment in instalments, on a case-by-case basis.

Read the press release for additional details.