This morning, shops across the UK are welcoming their first customers in almost 3 months. Non-essential retailers, from bookshops to fashion chains, have reopened with measures in place to keep shoppers 2 metres away from each other. But many businesses are worried that if footfall is low, they won’t be able to serve enough people to make them viable.
Adviser comment: Many of us have been eagerly awaiting this, but remember to put aside your savings first and make a budget before hitting the high street.
MPs have called on the government to help an estimated 1 million people who have fallen through the cracks of its support schemes. Many didn’t fit the criteria to be furloughed or to apply for self-employed income support.
On the flip side, chancellor Rishi Sunak has given the HMRC new powers to claw back falsely claimed furlough and grant payments. Individuals and businesses who didn’t deserve coronavirus cash, or who bent the rules to apply, will have to pay 100% tax on the payments. And if they don’t pay? They could be prosecuted.
The government has said it will review the 2 metre social distancing rule after pressure from the hospitality sector to change it to 1 metre. Keeping people 2 metres apart is tricky for pubs, restaurants, and other businesses - only a third would be able to operate profitably. They’ll make far more money if they can fit more people in.
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