The latest set of measures announced by the PM Boris Johnson on Monday 21st February 2022 has put an end to all COVID restrictions as of Thursday 24th February 2022, with a plan set out to live with COVID moving forward. Along with the end to all COVID restrictions, the PM also announced that symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public will end on 1st April 2022, and will instead be targeted towards the most vulnerable.
What Does the Ending of all COVID Restrictions Mean?
As announced by the PM, from Thursday 24 February 2022:
People who test positive for Covid will no longer be legally required to self-isolate but will still be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least five full days.
Routine contact tracing will end, so fully vaccinated close contacts and those under 18 will no longer be legally required to test daily for seven days.
The £500 self-isolation support payment for people on low incomes who test positive for COVID will no longer be available.
Covid provisions for increased statutory sick pay will apply for a further month.
As well as this, the PM also announced from Friday 1st April 2022:
Free mass symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public will end and will instead be targeted towards the most vulnerable.
People with COVID symptoms will be asked to exercise personal responsibility when deciding whether to stay at home – until then they are still advised to do so.
Current government guidance on COVID passports will end and it will no longer recommend venues use the NHS Covid pass.
The PM has chosen to declare the end of these restrictions due to the high levels of immunity across the nation, as well as deaths now a lot lower than previously expected at this time of year. Setting out the plan to live with COVID, the PM stated, “today is not the day we can declare victory over Covid because this virus is not going away.”
There has been much debate among scientific and health experts as to whether the restrictions are a good idea, particularly as cases, hospital admissions and deaths are still relatively high. The latest Office For National Statistics (ONS) press release estimated that there are still 1 in every 25 people testing positive for COVID in England.
What Support is still Available for People Relative to COVID-19?
Despite the ending of restrictions, as well as financial support for those affected by COVID, there is still support available for the public. This includes the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme which will eventually close for COVID-related absences after 17 March 2022, with employers having up to 24th March 2022 to submit or amend any claims that have already been submitted.
The Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will repay employers the Statutory Sick Pay paid (£96.35 per week) to current or former employees who were off work on or after 21 December 2021. The maximum amount of Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) is currently capped at 28 weeks, however the government could choose to decrease this soon.
During the pandemic, and still presently, a large number of employees undergo working from home. It’s possible to claim tax relief for additional household costs if you have to work at home on a regular basis, either for all or part of the week. This includes if you have to work from home due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
You cannot claim tax relief if you choose to work from home and you cannot claim for the whole bill, just the part that relates to your work.
You may be able to claim tax relief for:
- gas and electricity
- metered water
- business phone calls, including dial-up internet access
You can either claim tax relief on:
£6 a week from 6 April 2020 (for previous tax years the rate is £4 a week) – you will not need to keep evidence of your extra costs.
the exact amount of extra costs you’ve incurred above the weekly amount – you’ll need evidence such as receipts, bills or contracts.
You’ll get tax relief based on the rate at which you pay tax. For example, if you pay the 20% basic rate of tax and claim tax relief on £6 a week you would get £1.20 per week in tax relief (20% of £6).
In terms of lateral flow tests, as stated all free testing will end on April 1st 2022. Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at risk groups, which will be set out in further detail shortly. Free symptomatic testing will also remain available to social care staff.
If you require any further information on COVID measures or anything accounting related for that matter, please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us on 01992 642024.