It’s only April and yet 2020 has already been an extraordinary year. Whatever your age, whether you are in work, retired, self- employed, in education or in a vulnerable group, you will have been affected by the sudden onslaught of the coronavirus, which has taken the whole world by surprise. It has meant that the Government has introduced a package of measures and restrictions which are entirely unprecedented. I hope that you have managed to stay well during this time and will continue to do so.
It is not surprising that people are feeling very anxious. They are worried for their health and that of their loved ones and for their livelihood. However, the Government’s rescue package has something for just about everyone. It is designed to keep business afloat so they can be rebooted when the crisis is over and to ensure that people have money in their banks to pay for the basic necessities whilst giving people the opportunity to defer mortgage and rent payments. It includes non-repayable grants that can reimburse businesses for up to 80% of the salaries of employees, a similar scheme for the self-employed, business rates grants, HMRC Time to Pay scheme for VAT and PAYE, 3 month payment holidays for residential and buy to let mortgages and commercial loans, the opportunity to renegotiate lease payments, a 3 month freeze on loans and credit cards payments, a £500 interest free overdraft and the cancellation of increased rates due for larger overdrafts on personal accounts.
This is why I want you to know that my door is always open if you have concerns and I and my team will try to help, wherever we can. I am updating my website every day with new initiatives and answers to most commonly asked questions. You can find details of the package of financial measures here: https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/news/business-support-update-through-coronavirus-crisis and for the self-employed here: https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/news/emergency-support-self-employed Many constituents have already been in touch and we have been able to deal with hundreds of inquiries about how the support measures affect them. queries about the lockdown, where to get help and repatriation issues for many who have been stranded abroad. I am doing a weekly business conference call so that people can ask me questions directly and I am following up, where necessary, with ministers. The feedback has been very positive and I hope people will continue to contact me if they need to.
I am in constant touch with ministers and have been feeding back concerns and ideas on a daily basis. I raised concerns with the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, on a number of occasions about the conditions and delays experienced by businesses wanting to access the loan scheme. So I was delighted when, on Friday, Mr Sunak announced that there would be big improvements to the way banks lend money to both large and small businesses. The loans which can range from £5k-£5m, will be interest free for 12 months and will not require a personal guarantee for borrowing of up £250k and only 20% for loans above that figure. All have a target of 48 hours from application to drawdown. This could save hundred of thousands of jobs and businesses: https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/news/big-improvements-business-finance-scheme
This weekend’s weather promises to be glorious as we might expect at this time of year. It has been very hard for so many people, particularly those with children to stay indoors. It is understandable that people want to enjoy the outdoors especially as we live in such a beautiful part of the world. However, the tragic deaths of two nurses, both in their 30’s and both with children, must serve a reminder that we must keep to the government guidelines by staying indoors so we can stay well which will take the pressure off the NHS and ultimately save lives. I would urge you to please keep to these restrictions as we can only conquer this virus if we all play our part. There have been reports of people flocking to our coast and to the other lovely outdoor spaces we are so proud of but, difficult though I know it is, we must resist and the police do have the powers to enforce this. There has been some confusion as to who can go to work. I have attempted to clarify this here: https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/news/can-i-continue-work
I know you would want to join me in thanking our wonderful and dedicated NHS staff who are looking after us at this difficult time. Many of them are working very long shifts whilst putting their own lives at risk and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, now fully recovered from coronavirus, is working around the clock to deliver on his pledge that 100,000 people will be tested every day by the end of this month. He is also working to ensure that the PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) reaches those that need it. Contrary to some reports I can tell you that there is enough to go round. The difficulty has been its distribution, which is why the Secretary of Sate has brought in the army to help deliver it and he has also set up a hotline so everyone working in the our health service from hospitals to care homes can order what they need. There are more details here; https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/news/testing-coronavirus
I am very hopeful that this crisis will not last as long as some people are predicting but much will depend on how close people keep to government guidelines. Meanwhile restrictions will remain in place. This will be a hugely challenging time for many people who are isolated or living on their own. If you have problems ordering food or collecting medicines or you need a friendly person to talk to, please do not hesitate to ask. There are a huge number of voluntary groups standing by to help in every part of the constituency. My office will put you in touch with your local group:. https://www.kevinhollinrake.org.uk/news/do-you-need-help-shopping
