Covid-19 - Proposed national lockdown from Thursday. Update Message from CPI

2nd November 2020

To:           Corrugated Sector

Dear Colleagues

Covid-19 - proposed national lockdown from Thursday

As you will be aware, on Saturday the Prime Minister addressed the nation giving an update on the latest COVID picture. With cases rising rapidly, the Prime Minister proposed a four week national lockdown, beginning on Thursday. This is subject to approval in Parliament, and on Wednesday there will be a debate and vote in the House of Commons on these measures.

Below we have summarised what the new restrictions would mean.  More information is available here

The key factors for the industry are:

  • Manufacturing can continue
  • Furlough extended for another month: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended for a month with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked and further economic support announced.  Note that the furlough support for business has been re-increased so that: Businesses will have flexibility to bring furloughed employees back to work on a part time basis or furlough them full-time, and will only be asked to cover National Insurance and employer pension contributions which, for the average claim, accounts for just 5% of total employment costs.
  • Check which employees you can put on furlough to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-which-employees-you-can-put-on-furlough-to-use-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme
  • Businesses required to close in England due to local or national restrictions will be eligible for a grant. For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £1,334 per month, or £667 per two weeks; for properties with a rateable value of between £15k-£51k grants to be £2,000 per month, or £1,000 per two weeks and for properties with a rateable value of £51k or over grants to be £3,000 per month, or £1,500 per two weeks.

We will keep you updated on any further updates as they are published in the coming days.

Kind Regards

Andy Barnetson, Director of Packaging Affairs, CPI

EMail: Andy Barnetson