Save up to ₤2,000 with Tax Free Childcare

AS Schools return in the North West, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding working parents they could save up to ₤2,000 per child per year to pay towards After School Clubs and other childcare services. Around 170,000 families in the North West are eligible for Tax Free Childcare, which can cut thousands of pounds off childcare bills.

All families have to do is pay into their Tax Free Childcare account and for every ₤8 that they deposit, the UK Government immediately makes a top up payment of an additional ₤2. The scheme is open to working parents, including the self employed, who earn between the minimum wage and ₤100,000 per year and have children aged 0 to 11 years old. Families with a disabled child, aged 0 to 17 years old, can receive up to ₤4,000 in Government support each year.

HMRC has also updated the Childcare Choices website so parents can now get personalised scheme information for each child. Families can choose from childcare providers that have signed up to Tax Free Childcare, including:- Nannies, Nurseries, Childminders or After School Clubs.

HMRC's Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, Angela MacDonald, said:- “As more parents across the country return to work and kids head back to School following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, there has never been a better time to sign up to Tax Free Childcare. It takes just minutes to set up an account on our improved and more accessible Childcare Choices website and soon you could be receiving up to ₤2,000 per child towards the cost of childcare each year.”

You can find out more and apply through the Childcare Choices website:- ChildCareChoices.Gov.UK. It includes a Childcare Calculator at:- Gov.UK/Childcare-Calculator, that compares all the Government's childcare offers to check what works best for individual families.

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Sefton Council are reminding hospitality businesses and customers about Covid19 Safety

AS the Bank Holiday weekend approaches, Sefton Council is reminding local businesses and their customers of the importance of following the Government's COVID-19 guidance. For businesses in the hospitality sector such as pubs, bars and restaurants this means keeping a temporary record of their customers to assist the NHS Test and Trace should Coronavirus cases develop. This is in addition to maintaining the distancing and cleaning measures required to help keep their clients safe. For customers, this means following any of the measures in place for their protection and making sure they provide any Test and Trace information requested on arrival.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said:- "Pubs and bars should have in place a way of recording their customers' contact details so that if there are cases of Coronavirus associated with the premises, they can be traced, warned and instructed to isolate. These simple measures on arrival are for the protection of customers and staff but are also there to protect the hospitality sector and the wider economy by reducing the possibility of a wider COVID-19 outbreak and the potential need to introduce local restrictions, which would have a negative effect on everyone. Personally, if I arrived at a pub bar or restaurant that didn't have tracing measures in place, I wouldn't stay."

Sarah Rodriguez from Southport BID said:- "Business owners in Southport have worked incredibly hard since reopening to ensure their customers and staff are safe and have shown a great deal of respect for the social distancing guidelines as a community. We do back Sefton's plea to ensure that we work together to ensure that these high standards continue across the busy Bank Holiday and beyond. As a team, we are available for any support and resources to help you implement the measures are available on SouthportBid.Com."

Sefton Council's Environmental Health team has been working with businesses across the Borough to help them put in place the measures needed to keep employees and customers safe. Government guidance Information is also available at:- Gov.UK/Guidance/Working-Safely-During-Coronavirus-Covid-19. Information to help businesses of all types identify and manage Coronavirus outbreaks, in the form of downloadable and printable Action Cards can also be found on Sefton Council's website.

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Could you live on ₤13 a day?

MANY people have been having major problems with Universal Credit (UC) even before the Pandemic, but new the UK Government has taken it to a new low. People on low incomes who need to self isolate and are unable to work from home, within areas that have high incidence of COVID-19 will 'benefit' from a new payment scheme, using UC payments. Scheme to be tested 1st in Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle, and Oldham will see payments of up to ₤182 to be made to people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and their contacts, from Tuesday, 1 September 2020, the Health Secretary has announced. He stated that:- "eligible individuals who test positive with the virus will receive ₤130 for their 10 day period of self isolation. Other members of their household, who have to self isolate for 14 days, will be entitled to a payment of ₤182."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:- "The British public have already sacrificed a great deal to help slow the spread of the virus. Self isolating if you have tested positive for COVID-19, or have come into contact with someone who has, remains vital to keeping on top of local outbreaks. This new payment scheme will help people on low incomes and who are unable to work from home to continue playing their part in the national fight against this virus. Payments will be provided within 48 hours of the eligible individual providing the necessary evidence. Individuals will be asked to provide a notification from NHS Test and Trace and a bank statement."

So what do you think about this announcement? Could you live on ₤13 a day? Please do please email us your thoughts and views on this scheme, to:- News24@SouthportReporter.Com.

MP Bill Esterson commented:- "Hancock said he couldn’t live on sick pay, but expects low paid workers to do so. How on earth is ₤13 a day going to persuade people to self isolate if they can’t afford to miss out on going to work? Another announcement without credibility from the Government."

A bit more information on the payment:-

► We are told that this will not reduce any other benefits that they receive.

► Also we are informed that this payment equates to:-

► ₤130 if an individual has tested positive for Coronavirus and has to self isolate for 10 days (from the point they 1st developed symptoms)

► ₤182 if a member of an individual’s household has tested positive for Coronavirus and they are asked to self isolate for 14 days (from the point the member of their household first developed symptoms)

► ₤13 per day (up to a maximum of ₤182) if an individual is identified as a non-household contact of another person who has tested positive for Coronavirus and is asked to self-isolate up until 14 days after they were most recently in contact with the person who tested positive

To be eligible for the funding, individuals must:-

► Have tested positive for COVID-19 or received a notification from NHS Test and Trace asking them to self isolate

► Have agreed to comply with the notification from NHS Test and Trace and provided contact details to the Local Authority, and must be employed or self employed.

► Employed people will be asked to show proof of employment.

► Self employed will be required to show evidence of trading income and that their business delivers services which the Local Authority reasonably judges they are unable to carry out without social contact.

► Be unable to work from home (checks will be undertaken on all applicants) and will lose income a result be currently receiving Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit.

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Fresh warning over COVID-19 as case numbers rise

A rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases across Liverpool has prompted public health officials to warn people that the virus is still prevalent and precautions still need to be taken. The last 2 weeks have seen a steady increase in the rolling weekly total, although it is lower than other areas that have restrictions in place. The cases are not confined to a specific area, but are across the city, and the data shows that adults under 40 account for half.

With schools set to reopen next week, people are being urged remain vigilant to help try and avoid cases in the community and in schools and colleges. Director of Public Health, Matt Ashton, said:- "It is really important that as schools start to reopen and more workplaces are getting back to normal, we all take responsibility and follow the guidance to limit the spread of cases as far as possible. We have worked really hard with schools over the last few months to put in place measures to make sure they are as safe as possible for our young people. The big risk is infection coming in to the school through the community, for example through people who don’t know they are carrying it mixing with staff or pupils outside and it infecting them. It is therefore essential that we all socially distance whenever possible, and when not, use face coverings This is not about us as individuals, this is about our children’s education, their future prospects and their emotional wellbeing."

As a result, a renewed appeal is being made, particularly to under 40's, to:-

► Stick to social distancing - 2 metres whenever possible.

► Wear face coverings in confined spaces, supermarkets and on public transport.

► Use face coverings properly - from over the nose to under the chin, and avoid contamination when putting on and taking off.

► Wash hands regularly.

► Abide by the limits on household numbers.

► Get tested if they have symptoms via the NHS website or calling:- 119.

Councillor Paul Brant, Cabinet member for public health, said:- "Communities have been absolutely brilliant in working with us to try and make sure we keep the number of cases low. It is really important we don’t let the sacrifices and progress of the last few months go to waste. This is about us all working together to protect each other, making sure we are not complacent and keeping cases under control. Every single one of us has a responsibility to others."

More information about symptoms; which include a continuous cough, high temperature and loss of taste and smells; is available at:- NHS.UK/Coronavirus. The number of confirmed cases per ward in Liverpool is available at:- Liverpool.Gov.UK/Covidcases.

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Total UK cases COVID-19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region