by David Watkinson
AS the Coronavirus lockdown eases Watkinson Black accountants are pleased to announce that their offices will re-open from 1st June 2020.
The office will be open from Monday to Friday during the hours of 9.30am to 5.00pm.
Please note, however, that the following restrictions will initially apply:
– Wherever possible, staff will be encouraged to work from home. Therefore, individual members of staff will not be available at the office unless their attendance is necessary and by prior arrangement.
– Only one member of staff will be permitted to be present in any individual working office at any time.
– The office door will be locked at all times. Access to the office by clients will be restricted at all times as follows:
a. Only one visitor will be admitted to the office at any time
b. Access to the office by visitors will be restricted to the entrance hall and the interview office. Visitor access to the remainder of the office, including toilet facilities, will not be permitted.
c. Visitors are requested to wear masks at all times whilst in the office and to use hand cleanser on entry.
d. All records and other documents will be quarantined for a minimum of 48 hours before being handled.
Because of this it is essential that clients only come to the office by prior telephone appointment, and only where a personal visit is necessary, eg to deliver or collect manual records. To repeat, without an appointment then the staff member will most probably not be available.
Please contact us wherever possible by telephone, e-mail or by using Iris Openspace.
We are sure that you recognise that these restrictions are to protect the health of both our staff and our clients. We will continue to monitor this position and will further relax these restrictions when possible whilst still complying with government guidelines.
The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (CSSPRS)
The Portal for the CSSPRS opened on 26th May 2020. To qualify for this the employer must:
– Have fewer than 250 employees
– Not be “in difficulty” on 31st December 2019
Under the CSSPRS an eligible employer can claim an SSP rebate for the first 14 days per employee if:
– The absence is through COVID-19 related sickness or self –isolation starting on or after 13th March 20202, or
– The absence is through COVID-19 related shielding following public health advice and where the employee is in receipt of a letter from the GO or the NHS for periods starting on or after 16th April 2020.
Claims must be made using the online reclaims portal. The following information will be needed:
– The employer PAYE scheme reference number
– A contact name and telephone number
– The bank sort-code, account number and account name into which repayments will be made
– The total amount of the COVID-19 SSP paid for the claim period
– The number of employees being claimed for
– The start date and end date of the claim period
The claim can cover multiple employees.
It should be noted that a claim can be made from both the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the CSSPRS for the same employee. Unsurprisingly, however, the claims must not refer to the same period of time.
The rate of SSP was £94.25 up to 5th April 2020. From 6th April this increased to £95.85. The maximum period for which SSP can be claimed remains at 28 weeks in any linked “Periods of Incapacity for Work”.
Contact Details
The office telephone will be manned from Monday 1st June during office opening hours as normal.
Meanwhile, direct contact details remain as follows:
Dave Watkinson Telephone: 01925 428896 Email: [email protected] Margaret Black: Telephone: 01925 428895 Email: [email protected] Tom Coyne Telephone: 01925 428894 Email: [email protected] Stuart Barr Telephone: 01925 428893 Email: [email protected] Sara Garrity Telephone: 01925 428892 Email: [email protected]
