HLAS

Following an extended pilot programme, the government has launched a new series of innovation loans worth £150 million. Innovate UK will deliver the loans through a series of competitions over the next three years to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and level up the UK. The first competition has now opened for applications. Innovation loans: Future Economy competition - round 1 As part of the first competition, Innovate UK is offering up to £25 million in loans to micro businesses and SMEs. The funding will be allocated across a series of four consecutive rounds with the next round opening [...]

In the UK there are a wide range of different religions that both employers and employees may need to have some understanding of and how they may occasionally affect the workplace. Many workplaces have employees from different religious and non-religious backgrounds. Encouraging greater awareness and understanding of these backgrounds can be rewarding, particularly in terms of team building. It can also help to reduce the chance of misunderstanding resulting in complaints or disciplinary action. ACAS have produced guidance for employers and employees on how to reduce the chance of religion or belief discrimination happening at work, how it might happen and how [...]

The Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) is part of the Global Britain Investment Fund, of which £354 million will support life sciences manufacturing. The LSIMF will provide £60 million in capital grants for investment in the manufacture of: human medicines (drug substance and drug product) medical diagnostics MedTech products The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) encourage applications from companies ready to deploy their emerging technologies at scale in commercial manufacturing. See: Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The UK has climbed to second in the international rankings for women’s representation on boards at FTSE 100 level, with new data released recently, showing nearly 40% of UK FTSE 100 board positions are now held by women, compared with 12.5% just 10 years ago. The data has been published in a report by the government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review, which monitors women’s representation in 24,000 positions on FTSE 350 Boards and in leadership teams of the UK’s biggest companies, building on the success of the previous Hampton-Alexander and Davies Reviews. The findings demonstrate a major sea-change in attitudes to getting women leaders to the top table of [...]

Our property finance experts specialise in arranging finance for new build, conversion and refurbishment projects for property developers and investors. Our property finance experts also arrange competitive bridging loans to ‘bridge’ a timing gap between a debt coming due, or the main line of credit becoming available. Our experts can also help you to purchase your business freehold with a Commercial Mortgage tailored for you. The benefits of arranging Property Finance are: Access to highly competitive rates, arranged by a team of experts who will walk with you to completion and beyond, advising you every step of the way Access [...]

The government have announced the rise in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage from April 2022. Please talk to us if you have any questions about your payroll. In full, the increases are: National Living Wage (23+) to increase from £8.91 to £9.50 National Minimum Wage (21-22) to increase from £8.36 to £9.18 National Minimum Wage (18-20) to increase £6.56 to £6.83 National Minimum Wage (16-17) to increase £4.62 to £4.81 Apprenticeship Wage to increase from £4.30 to £4.81 See: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

HMRC is warning individuals not to share their personal information online to avoid their identities being used to claim bogus Self-Assessment tax refunds. HMRC is aware that criminals are attempting to obtain customers’ Government Gateway logins and other personal details, enabling them to register for Income Tax Self-Assessment and submit bogus tax refund claims before pocketing the repayment. Individuals, ranging from teenagers to pensioners, are being targeted on social media platforms by fraudsters seeking to ‘borrow’ their identities. In return, the individual is promised a cut of the tax refund ‘risk-free’. Handing over sensitive personal information to criminals like this, even [...]

UK businesses can now record their interest in supporting Ukrainians fleeing the war. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has launched a webpage for sponsors to record their interest in Homes for Ukraine, ahead of Phase One of the scheme opening for applications on Friday 18 March. The Homes for Ukraine scheme will allow individuals, charities, community groups and businesses in the UK to bring Ukrainians to safety, including those with no family ties to the UK. Phase One of the scheme will allow sponsors in the UK to nominate a named Ukrainian or a named Ukrainian family [...]

With the 1.25% increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) from 6 April 2022 to help fund health and social care it is important that employers use the letter that is appropriate for that employee. This is particularly important where you employ apprentices under the age 25 (H) and other employees under the age of 21 (M) as there are no employer contributions where the employee is paid no more than £50,270 a year. Although the employee pays 13.25% on earnings above the 15.05% employer contributions are not payable. This is clearly designed to encourage employers to take on apprentices and [...]

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding about 7,500 tax credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance customers they have just one month left to switch their Post Office card account. HMRC will stop making payments to Post Office card accounts after 5 April 2022 so customers must notify HMRC of their new account details, so they don’t miss out on vital payments. In November 2021, HMRC extended the deadline to the end of the financial year. The one-off extension to the contract meant customers could temporarily continue to receive their payments into their Post Office account, giving them extra time to set up new accounts [...]