New rates of the National Living Wage (NLW) and National Minimum Wage (NMW) come into force on 1 April 2021. These follow recommendations made in the autumn by the Low Pay Commision (LPC). To mark the uprating, this report looks ahead at the implications of the incoming rates and the LPC’s remit for the year ahead.
The new NLW and NMW rates are set out below. The NLW now applies to all workers aged 23 and over. The previous age of eligibility was 25. This will come down again to 21 by 2024.
These increases mark the first step on the path to the Government’s target of an NLW set at two-thirds of median earnings by 2024. This report sets out the latest pathway to that target, based on projections of average pay growth. We are currently consulting on the NLW and NMW rates to be introduced from April 2022.
Link: The National Minimum Wage in 2021
Read MoreThe advisory electricity rate for fully electric cars is 5 pence per mile.
Hybrid cars are treated as either petrol or diesel cars for advisory fuel rates.
The advisory fuel rates for petrol, LPG and diesel cars are shown in these tables.
Further information: Advisory fuel rates
Read MoreThe advisory electricity rate for fully electric cars is 4 pence per mile.
Hybrid cars are treated as either petrol or diesel cars for advisory fuel rates.
The advisory fuel rates for petrol, LPG and diesel cars are shown in these tables.
Further information: Advisory fuel rates
Read MoreMore than 10.7 million people have submitted their Self Assessment tax returns for the 2019 to 2020 tax year by the 31 January deadline.
More than 10.7 million people submitted their 2019/20 Self Assessment tax returns by the 31 January deadline, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.
The remaining 1.8 million whose tax return is now late will not be charged a late filing penalty provided they submit their return online by 28 February.
Those who did not pay their Self Assessment tax bill by 31 January are now incurring interest on the outstanding balance and should pay their bill as soon as possible.
Customers should pay any outstanding balance, or arrange a payment plan, before 3 March 2021 to avoid a 5% late payment penalty.
Those who are not yet able to file their tax return should pay an estimated amount as soon as possible, which will minimise any interest and late payment penalty. Self-employed people can use the calculator on GOV.UK to help estimate their tax bill.
Read MoreUnderstand and prepare for changes to the off-payroll working rules (IR35) if you’re a contractor or an intermediary and your worker provides services to a client.
An intermediary (usually a limited company) will normally be a worker’s personal service company, but could also be a partnership, a managed service company, or another person. A worker is sometimes known as a contractor.
Off-payroll working rules
How the off-payroll working rules are applied will change on 6 April 2021.
Before 6 April 2021, if your worker provides services to a client through you:
From 6 April 2021, all public sector clients and medium or large-sized private sector clients will be responsible for deciding your worker’s employment status. This includes some charities and third sector organisations.
If the off-payroll working rules apply, your worker’s fees will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions.
Link: April 2021 changes to off-payroll working for intermediaries and contractors
Read MoreThe advisory electricity rate for fully electric cars is 4 pence per mile.
Hybrid cars are treated as either petrol or diesel cars for advisory fuel rates.
The advisory fuel rates for petrol, LPG and diesel cars are shown in these tables.
Further information: Advisory fuel rates
Read MoreThe government is increasing its support to the self-employed over the coming months and ensuring people get paid faster than previously planned, it was announced today, 2nd November.
To reflect the recent changes to the furlough scheme, the UK-wide Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will be made more generous – with self-employed individuals receiving 80% of their average trading profits for November.
And to ensure those who need support get it as soon as possible, payments will also be made more quickly with the claims window being brought forward from 14th December to 30th November.
The changes will ensure that self-employed individuals who temporarily cannot carry out their business or have suffered reduced demand due to the outbreak are supported over winter.
In addition, more businesses will be able to access additional support as deadlines for applications for government-backed loan schemes and the Future Fund have been further extended until 31st January 2021.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
“So far we’ve provided £13.7 billion of support to self-employed people through the crisis – and I’ve always said we will continue to do everything we can to support livelihoods across the UK.
The rapidly changing health picture has meant we have had to act in order to protect people’s lives and I know this is incredibly worrying time for the self-employed. That is why we have increased the generosity of the third grant, ensuring those who cannot trade or are facing decreased demand are able to get through the months ahead.”
Read MoreHouse sales rose by 21.3% in September following the introduction of the stamp duty holiday – helping to protect hundreds of thousands of jobs in the housing sector and wider supply chain, new figures revealed today.
After a 15.6% rise in August, residential property transactions in September rose a further 21.3% as more people decided to buy a new home or move house. The increase in transactions came after the Chancellor announced a stamp duty holiday at the start of July that will last until March next year.
The move has helped to protect hundreds of thousands of jobs, benefitting businesses across the housing supply chain and beyond, with the Bank of England estimating that households who move home are much more likely to purchase a range of durable goods, such as furniture, carpets or major appliances.
It is expected that among others housebuilders, estate agents, tradespeople, DIY stores, removal and cleaning firms could all benefit from the increased activity.
Read MoreNew £2 billion Kickstart scheme will create thousands of new jobs for young people.
Employers can find more information about the Kickstart scheme: gov.uk/kickstart
An innovative new scheme to help young people into work and spur Britain’s economic revival was launched by the government today.
Businesses are now able to sign up to be part of the landmark £2 billion Kickstart scheme, giving unemployed young people a future of opportunity and hope by creating high-quality, government-subsidised jobs across Great Britain.
Under the scheme, announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as part of his Plan for Jobs, employers can offer youngsters aged 16-24 who are claiming Universal Credit a six-month work placement.
The government will fully fund each “Kickstart” job – paying 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week.
Employers will be able to top up this wage, while the government will also pay employers £1,500 to set up support and training for people on a Kickstart placement, as well as helping pay for uniforms and other set up costs. The jobs will give young people – who are more likely to have been furloughed, with many working in sectors disproportionately hit by the pandemic – the opportunity to build their skills in the workplace and to gain experience to improve their chances of finding long-term work.
Further information is available on the official Government website.
Read MoreMore than 64 million meals have been enjoyed by diners across the country since the launch of the government’s Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme.
This continues the upward trend in the scheme’s popularity, with 10.5 million meals claimed for in the first week, growing to a total of 35 million meals in the second.
Data from OpenTable shows that during Eat Out to Help Out’s third week the number of customers at UK restaurants was 61% higher than the same days last year on average for Monday to Wednesday. The average level across Monday to Wednesday in the first and second week were 12% and 41% respectively.
The data also shows that the number of customers at UK restaurants was up 17% compared to the same week in 2019.
A total of 87,000 claims have been made by many of the signed-up businesses and there have been over 34 million searches on Eat Out to Help Out’s restaurant finder from 13 million unique users.
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