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Job Retention Scheme – Update

Dear Payroll Client

We are trying to continue to run our payroll service as best possible in the current situation, with regards to the new changes to employees pay in relation to the job retention scheme we will need you to confirm the following to ensure that we process the correct pay figures to HMRC:-

  • Do you want us to reduce your employees Salaries to 80% or maintain the 100% payment and the employer pay 20%?
  • If you do want us to reduce the salary to 80% when is this to commence?

We have set out below an update from HMRC on the Job Retention scheme to explain the claim process and help you with any further questions you may have.

Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers for at least three months starting from 1 March 2020. We expect the scheme to be up and running by the end of April. It is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

Employers can use a portal to claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) usual monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on that wage. Employers can use this scheme anytime during this period.

The scheme is open to all UK employers that had created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on 28 February 2020.

Who can claim

  • Any UK organisation with employees can apply, including:
  • Businesses
  • Charities
  • Recruitment agencies (agency workers paid through PAYE)
  • Public authorities
  • You must have created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 28 February 2020 and have a UK bank account.
  • Where a company is being taken under the management of an administrator, the administrator will be able to access the Job Retention Scheme.

Employees you can claim for

Furloughed employees must have been on your PAYE payroll on 28 February 2020, and can be on any type of contract, including:

  • Full-time employees
  • Part-time employees
  • Employees on agency contracts
  • Employees on flexible or zero-hour contracts

The scheme also covers employees who were made redundant since 28 February 2020, if they are rehired by their employer.

To be eligible for the subsidy, when on furlough, an employee can not undertake work for or on behalf of the organisation. This includes providing services or generating revenue. While on furlough, the employee’s wage will be subject to usual income tax and other deductions.

This scheme is only for employees on agency contracts who are not working.

If an employee is working, but on reduced hours, or for reduced pay, they will not be eligible for this scheme and you will have to continue paying the employee through your payroll and pay their salary subject to the terms of the employment contract you agreed.

Employers should discuss with their staff and make any changes to the employment contract by agreement. When employers are making decisions in relation to the process, including deciding who to offer furlough to, equality and discrimination laws will apply in the usual way.

To be eligible for the subsidy employers should write to their employee confirming that they have been furloughed and keep a record of this communication.

Employees hired after 28 February 2020 cannot be furloughed or claimed for in accordance with this scheme.

You do not need to place all your employees on furlough. However, those employees who you do place on furlough cannot undertake work for you.

If your employee is on unpaid leave

  • Employees on unpaid leave cannot be furloughed, unless they were placed on unpaid leave after 28 February.

If your employee is on Statutory Sick Pay

  • Employees on sick leave or self-isolating should get Statutory Sick Pay, but can be furloughed after this.
  • Employees who are shielding in line with public health guidance can be placed on furlough.

If your employee has more than one job

  • If your employee has more than one employer they can be furloughed for each job. Each job is separate, and the cap applies to each employer individually.

If your employee does volunteer work or training

  • A furloughed employee can take part in volunteer work or training, as long as it does not provide services to or generate revenue for, or on behalf of your organisation.
  • However, if workers are required to for example, complete online training courses whilst they are furloughed, then they must be paid at least the NLW/NMW for the time spent training, even if this is more than the 80% of their wage that will be subsidised.

If your employee is on Maternity Leave, contractual adoption pay, paternity pay or shared parental pay

  • Individuals who are on or plan to take Maternity Leave must take at least 2 weeks off work (4 weeks if they work in a factory or workshop) immediately following the birth of their baby. This is a health and safety requirement. In practice, most women start their Maternity Leave before they give birth.
  • If your employee is eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance, the normal rules apply, and they are entitled to claim up to 39 weeks of statutory pay or allowance.
  • Employees who qualify for SMP, will still be eligible for 90% of their average weekly earnings in the first 6 weeks, followed by 33 weeks of pay paid at 90% of their average weekly earnings or the statutory flat rate (whichever is lower). The statutory flat rate is currently £148.68 a week, rising to £151.20 a week from April 2020.
  • If you offer enhanced (earnings related) contractual pay to women on Maternity Leave, this is included as wage costs that you can claim through the scheme.
  • The same principles apply where your employee qualifies for contractual adoption, paternity or shared parental pay.

Work out what you can claim

  • Employers need to make a claim for wage costs through this scheme.
  • You will receive a grant from HMRC to cover the lower of 80% of an employee’s regular wage or £2,500 per month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on that subsidised wage. Fees, commission and bonuses should not be included.
  • At a minimum, employers must pay their employee the lower of 80% of their regular wage or £2,500 per month. An employer can also choose to top up an employee’s salary beyond this but is not obliged to under this scheme.
  • We will issue more guidance on how employers should calculate their claims for Employer National Insurance Contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions, before the scheme becomes live.

Full time and part time employees

  • For full time and part time salaried employees, the employee’s actual salary before tax, as of 28 February should be used to calculate the 80%. Fees, commission and bonuses should not be included.

Employees whose pay varies

  • If the employee has been employed (or engaged by an employment business) for a full twelve months prior to the claim, you can claim for the higher of either:
  • The same month’s earning from the previous year
  • Average monthly earnings from the 2019-20 tax year
  • If the employee has been employed for less than a year, you can claim for an average of their monthly earnings since they started work.
  • If the employee only started in February 2020, use a pro-rata for their earnings so far to claim.
  • Once you’ve worked out how much of an employee’s salary you can claim for, you must then work out the amount of Employer National Insurance Contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions you are entitled to claim.

Employer National Insurance and Pension Contributions

  • All employers remain liable for associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on behalf of their furloughed employees.
  • You can claim a grant from HMRC to cover wages for a furloughed employee, equal to the lower of 80% of an employee’s regular salary or £2,500 per month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on paying those wages.
  • You can choose to provide top-up salary in addition to the grant. Employer National Insurance Contributions and automatic enrolment contribution on any additional top-up salary will not be funded through this scheme. Nor will any voluntary automatic enrolment contributions above the minimum mandatory employer contribution of 3% of income above the lower limit of qualifying earnings (which is £512 per month until 5th April and will be £520 per month from 6th April 2020 onwards).

National Living Wage/National Minimum Wage

  • Individuals are only entitled to the National Living Wage (NLW)/National Minimum Wage (NMW) for the hours they are working.
  • Therefore, furloughed workers, who are not working, must be paid the lower of 80% of their salary, or £2,500 even if, based on their usual working hours, this would be below NLW/NMW.
  • However, if workers are required to for example, complete online training courses whilst they are furloughed, then they must be paid at least the NLW/NMW for the time spent training, even if this is more than the 80% of their wage that will be subsidised.

What you’ll need to make a claim

Employers should discuss with their staff and make any changes to the employment contract by agreement. Employers may need to seek legal advice on the process. If sufficient numbers of staff are involved, it may be necessary to engage collective consultation processes to procure agreement to changes to terms of employment.

  • To claim, you will need:
  • Your ePAYE reference number
  • The number of employees being furloughed
  • The claim period (start and end date)
  • Amount claimed (per the minimum length of furloughing of 3 weeks)
  • Your bank account number and sort code
  • Your contact name
  • Your phone number

You will need to calculate the amount you are claiming. HMRC will retain the right to retrospectively audit all aspects of your claim.

Claim

  • You can only submit one claim at least every 3 weeks, which is the minimum length an employee can be furloughed for. Claims can be backdated until the 1 March if applicable.

What to do after you’ve claimed

  • Once HMRC have received your claim and you are eligible for the grant, they will pay it via BACS payment to a UK bank account.
  • You should make your claim in accordance with actual payroll amounts at the point at which you run your payroll or in advance of an imminent payroll.
  • You must pay the employee all the grant you receive for their gross pay, no fees can be charged from the money that is granted. You can choose to top up the employee’s salary, but you do not have to.

When the government ends the scheme

  • When the government ends the scheme, you must make a decision, depending on your circumstances, as to whether employees can return to their duties. If not, it may be necessary to consider termination of employment (redundancy).

Employees that have been furloughed

  • Employees that have been furloughed have the same rights as they did previously. That includes Statutory Sick Pay entitlement, maternity rights, other parental rights, rights against unfair dismissal and to redundancy payments.
  • Once the scheme has been closed by the government, HMRC will continue to process remaining claims before terminating the scheme.

Income tax and Employee National Insurance

  • Wages of furloughed employees will be subject to Income Tax and National Insurance as usual. Employees will also pay automatic enrolment contributions on qualifying earnings, unless they have chosen to opt-out or to cease saving into a workplace pension scheme.
  • Employers will be liable to pay Employer National Insurance contributions on wages paid, as well as automatic enrolment contributions on qualifying earnings unless an employee has opted out or has ceased saving into a workplace pension scheme.

Tax Treatment of the Coronavirus Job Retention Grant

  • Payments received by a business under the scheme are made to offset these deductible revenue costs. They must therefore be included as income in the business’s calculation of its taxable profits for Income Tax and Corporation Tax purposes, in accordance with normal principles.Businesses can deduct employment costs as normal when calculating taxable profits for Income Tax and Corporation Tax purposes.

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Financial Support Scheme Open For Businesses Affected By Restrictions

A financial support scheme for businesses in Northern Ireland which have been affected by the latest coronavirus restrictions is now open for applications. If you have a business that has either had to close or it has been severely affected by the new laws then you are eligible to apply for support through the fund. By yesterday evening there had already been around 5,000 applications.

Financial Support During The Crisis

Finance Support Scheme

Here are details of the scheme as published on the BBC News website:

`Under the scheme, businesses will receive the following amounts for every week these restrictions apply:

`- Small businesses (up to £15,000 net annual value) – £800
– Medium businesses (£15,001 – £51,000 net annual value) – £1,200
-Large businesses (over £51,000 net annual value) – £1,600


`Eligible businesses include cafes, pubs, hotels, close-contact services like hairdressers and other businesses required to close such as cinemas, museums and galleries. Indoor attractions have also been closed, including Titanic Belfast.`

About Businesses That Are Not Eligible To Apply For The Scheme

Of course there will be many businesses that will be affected by the new restrictions and the pandemic in general but not eligible to apply for this funding. In the same article on the BBC News website Finance Minister Conor Murphy said:

`he has encouraged executive colleagues to bring forward proposals for sectors they have responsibility for to address pressures experienced by supply chain businesses and the self-employed.

“As an executive we must do all we can to support businesses including those who to date haven’t benefitted from existing schemes.

“This scheme has been designed to provide much needed support to the occupying business within a commercial property which has been required to close or severely restrict its trading as a result of the regulations – you don’t have to be the ratepayer to receive support.

“I’m pleased this scheme will also provide financial support to owners of bed and breakfasts; some of which pay domestic rates and haven’t received support until now.”

He added that he had written to the Treasury and “asked that urgent consideration is given to bringing forward the start date of the Job Support Scheme”.`

If You Think You May Be Eligible Don`t Hesitate To Apply

We urge any business owners who think they may be eligible for the above financial support to put in their applications as soon as they can. It is vitally important that all businesses access all the support, in terms of funding, grants or loans, that they can in a bid to ride this particularly heavy storm we are experiencing right now.

And if you are unsure if there are any other forms of support out there that you can apply for then get in touch with our experienced accountancy team and we can check this out for you. Don`t hesitate to pick up the phone, give our team a call on 028 3752 2909.

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Job Support Scheme: What You Need To Know

The Job Support Scheme is to being introduced now that the Job Retention Scheme, or furlough scheme, is finishing at the end of this month.

The chancellor Rishi Sunak was obviously hoping that the furlough scheme that has been running these last few months to help businesses retain their employees would be enough. But Covid-19 is showing no sign of releasing its grip on the population just yet, so further measures are essential in a bid to save jobs and businesses.

Job Support Scheme Details

Job Support Scheme Details

The Job Support Scheme is by no means as all encompassing as the Job Retention Scheme. Here are some details on this scheme below which may prove useful to you, gleaned from the Job Support Scheme Factsheet which you can check out at the following link: Job Support Scheme Info:

  1. What is it?
    “• The Job Support Scheme is designed to protect viable jobs in businesses who are facing lower demand over the winter months due to Covid-19, to help keep their employees attached to the workforce. The company will continue to pay its employee for time worked, but the burden of hours not worked will be split between the employer and the Government (through wage support) and the employee (through a wage reduction), and the employee will keep their job.
    • Now the economy is opening up, we should target support on those businesses that need it most: focusing on those that are being impacted by Coronavirus and who can support their employees doing some work, but that need more time for demand to recover.
    • The Government will pay a third of hours not worked up to a cap, with the employer also contributing a third. This will ensure employees earn a minimum of 77% of their normal wages, where the Government contribution has not been capped.
    • Employers using the Job Support Scheme will also be able to claim the Job Retention Bonus if they meet the eligibility criteria.
    • The scheme will open on 1 November 2020 and run for 6 months, until April 2021.
    Further guidance will be published shortly.
  2. Who is eligible?
    I. Employers
    • All employers with a UK bank account and UK PAYE schemes can claim the grant.
    Neither the employer nor the employee needs to have previously used the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
    • Large businesses will have to meet a financial assessment test, so the scheme is only available to those whose turnover is lower now than before experiencing difficulties from Covid-19. There will be no financial assessment test for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
    • Our expectation is that large employers using the Job Support Scheme will not be making capital distributions, such as dividend payments or share buybacks, whilst accessing the grant. Further details will be set out in guidance.

Employees
• Employees must be on an employer’s PAYE payroll on or before 23 September. This means a Real Time Information (RTI) submission notifying payment to that employee to HMRC must have been made on or before 23 September 2020.
• In order to support viable jobs, for the first three months of the scheme the employee must work at least 33% of their usual hours. After 3 months, the Government will consider whether to increase this minimum hours threshold.
• Employees will be able to cycle on and off the scheme and do not have to be working the same pattern each month, but each short-time working arrangement must cover a minimum period of seven days.

What does the grant cover?
• For every hour not worked by the employee, both the Government and employer will pay a third each of the usual hourly wage for that employee. The Government contribution will be capped at £697.92 a month.
• Grant payments will be made in arrears, reimbursing the employer for the
Government’s contribution. The grant will not cover Class 1 employer NICs or pension contributions, although these contributions will remain payable by the employer.
• “Usual wages” calculations will follow a similar methodology as for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Full details will be set out in guidance shortly. Employees who have previously been furloughed, will have their underlying usual pay and/or hours used to calculate usual wages, not the amount they were paid whilst on furlough.
• Employers must pay employees their contracted wages for hours worked, and the Government and employer contributions for hours not worked. Our expectation is that employers cannot top up their employees’ wages above the two-thirds contribution to hours not worked at their own expense.

What does it mean to be on reduced hours?
• The employee must be working at least 33% of their usual hours.
• For the time worked, employees must be paid their normal contracted wage.
• For time not worked, the employee will be paid up to two-thirds of their usual wage.
• Employees cannot be made redundant or put on notice of redundancy during the period within which their employer is claiming the grant for that employee.”

Help & Support For Your Business

If you need any help with any of the above, or any other accountancy related/tax related issue, we are here to help. If you want expert guidance through these turbulent times get in touch with the WHR Accountancts team by calling 028 3752 2909.

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New Restrictions To Be Imposed By Northern Ireland Executive

After writing in our blog yesterday about the possibility of imminent new restrictions being introduced in a bid to halt the rise of Covid-19 infections in Northern Ireland, the Executive have acted swiftly today in bringing in tight new measures.

New Restrictions In Northern Ireland

Hospitality Restrictions & School Closures

These include the closure of schools as from Monday, for 2 weeks, and hospitality businesses limited to takeaway and delivery services from Friday, initially for a period of 4 weeks. This move was after new statistics showed that there was a further 1,217 cases and four more deaths with Covid-19 last Wednesday.

Circuit Breaker In A Bid To Curb Infections

It is hoped that this short, sharp, so-called circuit breaker will curb the increase in infections, let us all hope this is the case as the economic consequences of a long lockdown for the hospitality sector could very well prove the end of the line for many businesses.

Here are the new measures being imposed in Northern Ireland copied from the BBC News website:

  • “Closure of the hospitality sector, apart from deliveries and takeaways
  • Other fast-food and takeaway premises to close at 23:00
  • Off-licences and supermarkets not to sell alcohol after 20:00
  • No indoor sport or organised contact sport involving mixing of households, other than at elite level
  • No mass events involving more than 15 people (except for allowed outdoor sporting events where the relevant number for that will continue to apply);
  • Close-contact services such as hairdressers and beauticians to close – apart from those relating to the continuation of essential health interventions and therapeutics.
  • Mobile hairdressers and make-up artists – also classed as close contact services – prohibited from working in homes
  • Gyms to remain open for individual training but no classes permitted
  • Places of worship to remain open but face coverings mandatory when entering and exiting

“BBC News NI’s Political Reporter Jayne McCormack understands it is the intention of the executive for the regulations to take effect from Friday evening by 18:00.

“The current restrictions on household mixing are expected to remain as they are.

“That would mean no mixing of households in private homes – with exceptions including those joined in social bubbles – and gatherings in gardens limited to six people from no more than two households.”

Get In Touch If You Have An Affected Business

If you own a business in the hospitality sector and you need some advice on your current situation and what you can do about it please give our offices in Armagh a call on 028 3752 2909 and we will endeavour to help you.

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Stricter Restrictions Could Be Imminent In Northern Ireland

Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson`s launch of the new 3 tier system in England to help damp down the increasing rise in coronavirus infections there, Stormont officials are under increasing pressure to act to stem the rise here in Northern Ireland. They are meeting later today to discuss this very subject, although it is believed there are widely differing opinions over how to tackle this crisis. If they do agree to any new measures being introduced they are likely to come into force on Friday of this week.

Stricter Restrictions In Northern Ireland

Businesses Affected Must Be Supported

If stricter measures are introduced then it is likely they will last for a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks. Looking at this from a business imperative it is absolutely crucial that if further restrictions are introduced they must back this up with a plan to help all the businesses that will be affected by them in order for them to stay solvent and be able to trade in the future.

Coronavirus Statistics In Northern Ireland

Looking at the latest statistics on coronavirus infections in Northern Ireland the BBC website has these figures:

“On Monday, a further 877 cases were recorded by the department, bringing Northern Ireland’s total to 21,035 – more than a quarter of which have been recorded in the past seven days.

“The department’s death toll stands at 591.

“According to departmental data, there are 140 Covid inpatients in NI’s hospitals and 22 patients in intensive care, 15 of whom are being ventilated.

“In the Derry City and Strabane council area, the UK’s worst-hit area, the Covid infection rate is 919 per 100,000 of the population in the past week.

“Belfast has the eighth-highest rate of infection in the UK, with 432 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending 9 October, according to figures just released from the BBC Data unit.

“Tighter restrictions have been in force there since 5 October, but the Western Trust said hospital admissions were doubling every three to four days.

Stormont Health Officials Grave Concerns

“Stormont health officials have expressed alarm at the situation, saying that if wider actions are not implemented by Friday, there will be serious implications for the health service.

“Full details have not been divulged – but it is understood Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young have set out a range of options for ministers to consider.

“It is believed ministers will be asked to weigh up further restrictions on hospitality and assess the impact of closing schools for a short period, to try to lower Northern Ireland’s R-number.

“The R-number represents the number of individuals who, on average, will be infected by a single person with coronavirus.

“In Northern Ireland it is currently estimated to be at about 1.5, but officials say the executive and the public must endeavour to get it back below one.

“It is thought that bringing in measures for six weeks would have the maximum effect ahead of the Christmas holidays, but the executive will have the final say on any decisions.”

So we wait with bated breath for further announcements on the coronavirus crisis. Our businesses and employees need all the help they can get to pull through this period, let`s hope that this is clearly understood so that they can survive this crisis and look forward to brighter times ahead.

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Government To Cover Part Of Wages For Firms Forced To Close Under New Restrictions

It was announced on Friday that the government will cover 67% of wages, up to a maximum of £2,100 per month, for employees of businesses who are forced to close due to any new restrictions, to reduce the spread of Covid-19. Already some areas have had tough new regulations imposed on them and there will be another announcement by prime minister Boris Johnson later today where it is expected more regulations will be introduced to areas where the infection has risen the most.

Expansion Of The Job Support Scheme

Details Of The New Scheme

In this new scheme employers will not have to contribute towards the wages of employees and will only be required to cover NICS and pension contributions. Businesses will only be able to participate in the scheme if they are subject to local restrictions. Also staff must be off work for a minimum of seven consecutive days for them to be eligible for this payment.

Expansion Of The Job Support Scheme Will Provide A Safety Net

On the Accountancy Today website Rishi Sunak is quoted, saying:

“I have always said that we will do whatever is necessary to protect jobs and livelihoods as the situation evolves.

“The expansion of the Job Support Scheme will provide a safety net for businesses across the UK who are required to temporarily close their doors, giving them the right support at the right time.”

Increase In Guaranteed Funding For Northern Ireland

The article also goes on to point out that:

`In addition, the chancellor revealed the government is increasing cash grants to businesses in England shut in local lockdowns to help support fixed costs.

These grants will be linked to rateable values, with up to £3,000 per month payable every two weeks, compared to the up to £1,500 every three weeks which was available previously.

The grant is aimed to benefit hundreds of thousands of businesses including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys.

The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will also reportedly benefit from a £1.3bn increase to their guaranteed funding for 2020-21.`

All the above are very welcome moves by the government, with the increase in guaranteed funding crucial for Northern Ireland to help keep businesses afloat and employees in jobs during these perilous times. Whether many employees will be able to keep their heads above water and pay their bills on just 67% of their normal wages remains to be seen. And it will not help those businesses who are not forced to close but find it impossible to keep trading any longer due to the downturn in the economy.

If you have a business and you need help from an experienced accountant to guide you through these uncertain times please get in touch with our offices by calling 028 3752 2909.

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The Winter Economy Plan A Welcome Relief For Many Businesses

There is no doubt that the Chancellor Rishi Sunak`s Winter Economy Plan will provide welcome relief to many businesses, however it may not prove enough for those businesses worst affected by the pandemic.

Businesses Desperate For More Help

Winter Economy Plan

The Jobs Retention Scheme, or furlough scheme as it is most widely known, has been an absolutely fantastic scheme which has kept so many employees in work during lockdown, but as this draws to a close this month businesses are desperate for more help as the pandemic comes back hard in a second wave.

The Winter Economy Plan is being introduced along with other measures to help businesses and the economy including extending Bounce-Back loans and keeping VAT at 5% for the hospitality sector.

Is This A Sticking Plaster To Cover A Wound

Whether all this turns out to be a sticking plaster to cover a wound we will wait and see. As an article in the Belfast Newsletter points out:

“While the package represented a bold offer from the Chancellor, we must remain realistic. The hard truth is that it will not save every job – not in Northern Ireland, nor elsewhere. This is not a like-for-like replacement for furlough and some jobs will undoubtedly fall through the cracks. As redundancies start to rise, they must be matched with a significant investment in upskilling and retraining to stave off the risk of long-term joblessness. Northern Ireland knows only too well how scarring that can be, with memories of double-digit unemployment still in the minds of anyone who lived through the 1980s.

“There is also an awareness that the measures won’t protect every sector. Some extremely viable businesses will remain under extreme pressure until demand returns to something like normal. The hospitality sector has been particularly – and rightly – vocal in recent days. Hospitality in Northern Ireland is second to none. From bustling bars and cafés to award winning restaurants, we have a fantastic offering that is second to none. But if we want them to weather this storm and be there to offer a welcome pint or hot meal to both locals and tourists when the pandemic is over, we need to act now.

“Similarly, with the global aircraft fleet mostly grounded by the pandemic and day-to-day uncertainty over international travel restrictions, the aerospace industry has been hit hard. With a supply chain that stretches across the region, aerospace is a jewel in the crown of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector. Decades of honed experience and expertise have grown the sector to around 10,000 jobs. Unfortunately, the impact of the pandemic has been swift and severe – with 2,000 redundancies and around 3,000 sector workers put on furlough.

“As we seek to tackle the challenges of the coming weeks and months head-on, we recognise there is no silver bullet that will secure our recovery. Instead we have a series of policy levers, each with the capacity to move us forward an important step.”

Let`s Get Back To Something Approaching Normality!

Let us hope Covid-19 can be at least restrained over the coming months so that we can get back to something approaching normality and businesses in Northern Ireland can come out of the bunkers and thrive once more.