Due to COVID-19, many employees are now working from home. Employers should consider implementing or extending opportunities for informal communication, providing additional support and be proactive in checking-in with workers around their health and wellbeing. For everyone else, a P87 form online using the Government Gateway service or a P87 postal form will need to be completed. NCSC have created a free e-learning resource for training staff ‘Top Tips For Staff’ which can be completed online or built into your organisations’ training platform. Populations denominators for higher geographies are based on best-fit 2001 geographies. According to Blacklock’s Reporter, a directive from the Department of Public Works told federal employees that they can either receive a $500 grant for the office furniture of their choice or have a free chair delivered to them by the government. Employers may consider if they wish to make a payment of the flat rate £6 per week/ £26 per month non-taxable allowance for working from home expenses, such as electricity, heating or broadband costs permitted by HMRC guidance. For more information about working from home prior to 1 March 2020, or the other methods you can use to calculate your working from home expenses, visit Home office expenses . For some workers, particularly those with caring commitments, the times at which their hours are worked may need to vary but employers should be mindful of the legal requirements for rest breaks: Employers should ensure that their employees take  their contractual paid leave if they wish – notwithstanding circumstances where people cannot travel – in order to comply with Working Time Regulations paid leave entitlements, and ensure rest and employee wellbeing. To apply, you can request an allowance of £6 a week from your payroll department, tax-free. This helps save lives. which provides crisis grants to those in immediate financial need. The Scottish Government says this is an interim top-up while they negotiate for Social Security Scotland to take over from the Department of Work and Pensions in delivering Carers’ Allowance. CAS is a temporary top-up benefit … Continued Pay should remain unaffected if staff are working to their existing contractual terms and conditions agreed before working from home was introduced. We also use non-essential cookies to help us improve our websites. the age and stage of their children and of the specific needs of the persons being cared for. In line with government advice, our staff are working from home. Eligible families will receive the Scottish Government grant through Aberdeen City Council – we are administering the grant on behalf of the Scottish Government. This is available to people in Scotland and the whole of the UK. and to continue to communicate with colleagues to avoid feelings of loneliness or isolation. Your feedback will help us improve this site, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on working from home, The following information should complement the, Coronavirus (COVID-19): returning to work safely, The pandemic has had an unequal impact across the workforce, as different employee groups and individuals have been affected in diverse ways due to factors such as their job role, and personal circumstances. Updated with the Scottish Government's mainland lockdown and 'stay at home' guidance. The change could result in 900,000 people seeing their benefits increase and will see the amount of housing benefit received by claimants rise by £10 per month. By continuing to use this site, you agree to our use of cookies. It is the employer’s duty to ensure that work can be conducted at home, this means providing workers with equipment, ensuring that this equipment is appropriately installed and ensuring employees have access to the internet if this is required. The first payment of this benefit was made in September/October 2018. Updates to where we are now and pay, expenses and finance in operational guide. Information on support available to business can be found at findbusinesssupport.gov.scot. This could involve signposting employees to relevant sources of support and information. As such, employers and managers may wish to introduce opportunities for their staff to engage with their colleagues on an informal basis, for example, online coffee breaks, team quizzes and other social avenues of communication. Working from home may incur additional costs and expenses such as display screen equipment, office furniture and stationary. This deduction is claimed on your personal income tax return. This policy is due to be reviewed as part of the Once for Scotland Workforce Policies (Phase 2), and therefore NHSGGC is unable to make any amendments to the extant policy at this time. In postal P87s, you'll also be asked for your national insurance number. Our day to day work is currently largely unaffected. Home Energy Scotland is the advice service funded by the Scottish Government which acts as the gateway to all Government-funded domestic energy efficiency schemes and offers impartial energy efficiency advice, and advice to consumers on how to keep their home warmer and more affordable to heat. Employers may wish to take advantage of schemes such as the. New section on Working from home - what the Law says added to reflect latest legislation. Carer's Allowance during COVID-19. Employees working from home can claim tax relief Updated / Friday, 20 Mar 2020 14:28 People working from home can apply for heating, electricity and perhaps broadband expenses. In most cases, if you are working from home as an employee, there will be no capital gains tax (CGT) implications for your home. Digital-presenteeism is the personification of the ‘always on’ culture, making it hard for workers to switch off during their leisure hours. Number, and percent, of people claiming Job Seeker's Allowance by … The Scottish Government has spent more than £200,000 on homeworking equipment for civil servants since the start of the pandemic, it has been revealed. People will be able to apply for disability assistance in person across West Lothian. Employees may also wish to consider looking at, Information on support available to business can be found at, Find 5 January 2021. CIPD also have further guidance for employers on how to become a carer-friendly workplace. NCSC have created a free e-learning resource for training staff. Consideration should be given to what systems need to be accessed, by whom and if they can be accessed remotely. Benefit calculators, how payments work, changes of circumstance, benefit fraud and appeals. CAS is an additional payment made twice a year in addition to the normal Carer’s Allowance. Employees may also wish to consider looking at HMRC guidance to see if they are eligible to claim tax relief for additional household costs in working from home because of coronavirus where these have not been met by the employer. Bianca starts working from home on March 16, as a result of COVID-19, and replaces her face-to-face meetings with online video conferencing. The current Annual Allowance is £40,000. When they transfer, you'll continue to get benefit but if you live in Scotland it will be paid by Social Security Scotland, the new agency delivering Scottish benefits. However, it is not necessary for the employee to work at home on the same days each week. security questions to ask IT service providers during the COVID-19 pandemic when moving business from physical to digital. The increase started from 6 April 2020. The goal of the Scottish Government… This was a one-off payment to provide some more support for carers during coronavirus. If, under the arrangement, the employee works at home two days a week, HMRC will accept that the employee regularly works from home, even if the days vary from week to week. Guidance on what you can and cannot do in Scotland has changed. You can apply for the scheme either through HMRC or your employer, but you'll only be eligible if you've been made to work from home by your employer. Employers may find it beneficial to check the, Home Energy Scotland is the advice service funded by the Scottish Government which acts as the gateway to all Government-funded domestic energy efficiency schemes and offers impartial energy efficiency advice, and advice to consumers on how to keep their home warmer and more affordable to heat. Advice on the use of display screen equipment at home is provided by HSE as well as the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF). Employees can claim a fixed amount of £4 per week up to 5 April 2020 then £6 per week thereafter. Added information on the contract tracing app and temperature checks. If you usually submit a self-assessment form, you can claim as normal through your next application. Digital-presenteeism is driven by organisational culture, and this should be recognised and addressed by employers. The allowance is to cover tax-deductible additional costs that employees who are required to work from home have incurred, such as heating and lighting the workroom, and business telephone calls. For all the latest Government information on COVID-19 and the measures the Government, and Devolved Governments, are taking, please visit the UK Government website, the Scottish Government website, the Welsh Government website or the Northern Irish Government website. Guidance to support the continuation of working from home during the coronavirus pandemic. Your cookie settings have been saved. Updates to reflect lockdown introduced on 5 January 2021. If you're claiming through the postal form, you'll need to add a 'Using your home as an office' expense manually in the 'Other expenses' section. campaign has advice on creating routine, looking after yourself, staying in touch and feeling calmer that can aid people who may be feeling the adverse effects of mental health. The Scottish Government says this is an interim top-up while they negotiate for Social Security Scotland to take over from the Department of Work and Pensions in delivering Carers’ Allowance. For example, employers could consider designated contacts that can help with general functionality (for example Excel or Skype) that sit outwith the regular IT departments, that can help colleagues with queries. Employers should continue to make every effort to ensure that their organisational culture is fair and inclusive, considering the changed working environment their employees are now working in. Homeworkers are at risk of feeling socially isolated and lonely, especially those who live alone or are distanced from their family and friends and usual social networks. The Scottish Government have published an evaluation of the Carer’s Allowance Supplement (CAS). The challenges of balancing unpaid care with work will also be different for different workers, for example depending on the age and stage of their children and of the specific needs of the persons being cared for. Any data collected is anonymised. This is usually limited to food, drink, travel or any equipment you need to buy. in Scotland, see Scottish Government advice on working from home; in Wales, see Welsh Government advice on working from home; Deciding on working from home arrangements. The Scottish government has already confirmed it will increase Carer's Allowance to the same rate as Jobseeker's Allowance once it receives the powers, and that the … To apply, you can request an allowance of £6 a … The proposed amount for each Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment in 2020 is £230.10. You have to pay tax on Carer’s Allowance if your combined income is over the Personal Allowance of £12,500. Households requiring urgent financial assistance can apply to their local authority for a crisis grant from the Scottish Welfare Fund (SWF) which provides crisis grants to those in immediate financial need. Under # StayAtHome rules, nobody should leave or remain outside their home except for essential purposes. The UK Government is working to build a stronger, fairer, safer and more secure country that works for everyone in Scotland and the whole of the UK. Employers should ensure their insurance covers them for employees carrying out their role from home. Working from home operational guide. The payments are a form of tax relief and amount to £6 a week, or £26 a month. Specific guidance on changes to lockdown restrictions in the devolved nations including working from home can be found using the following links: Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland With the rapidly changing nature of the COVID-19 outbreak, information and advice from Government can change quickly. Employers should be mindful of the issue of overworking, and all employers should support workers to set  clear boundaries between work and home-life. As an alternative, HMRC allows a Home Working Allowance of £6 per week from 6 April 2020 (£4 per week up to 5 April 2020) to be paid to employees for additional household expenses incurred while working from home, tax-free. The Association of British Insurers (ABI)  provides advice and guidance to support customers who may be working from home due to COVID-19. Working Tax Credit will also be increased by £20 per week (£1,000 a year). This itself can imply risk to health and wellbeing as workers, especially women, who have disproportionately more caring responsibilities, are managing a double workload. Women’s employment in particular has been disproportionately affected in a range of ways and Close the Gap has further information on the labour market impacts for women in relation to COVID-19. Through the scheme, you can claim back money to cover expenses relating to your work such as business telephone calls or extra gas and electricity. Employers may find it beneficial to check the HMRC guidance on working from home allowances to check which expenses can be paid without incurring a tax liability in relation to who are working from home due to coronavirus. The $20 weekly allowance will continue to be paid to VPS employees working remotely until a direction is provided from either the Victorian Government or their employer that they may cease working remotely and return to their usual place of work. Tens of thousands of federal government employees have been offered up to $500 to buy new office furniture while working from home this year. Any data collected is anonymised. Updated to reflect changes in shielding advice. The Marriage Allowance lets you transfer £1,250 of your Personal Allowance to your husband, wife or civil partner - if they earn more than you. Healthy Working Lives have information and guidance for employers on mental health. Further information on support for employers is available from Carer Positive. As people face potentially another six months of working from home, ... For example, if you spent £60 and pay 20 per cent tax rate, you can claim £12 back from the government. Working from home protects the NHS and saves lives. A data cube dataset in folder s : Economic Activity, Benefits and Tax Credits, Scottish Government Job Seeker's Allowance Claimants. The Clear Your Head campaign has advice on creating routine, looking after yourself, staying in touch and feeling calmer that can aid people who may be feeling the adverse effects of mental health. The Scottish Government made an extra Carer's Allowance Supplement payment of £230.10 in June 2020. As would be expected under normal circumstances, employers should have a fair and flexible approach towards those with caring responsibilities, and should make use wherever possible of additional flexible working options such as reduced or flexible working hours. Personal independence payment, disability living allowance and attendance allowance will transfer to the Scottish Government. 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