Sussex wrote:
Didn't get an email nor a letter, but just checked that I can apply on the 18th.
I got several emails last time round, but because I'd already read all the stuff online I didn't really bother with the emails. Ditto a snail mail letter, if I actually got one, but can't be bothered looking for it.
But got the email about the second instalment about half an hour ago:
You could get help through the Self-Employment Income Support SchemeDear Stuart W
From 17 August the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme will open for claims for a second and final grant. Our records indicate you might be eligible for a grant.
You will be able to claim at any time from 19 August until the scheme closes on 19 October. Please do not try to claim before this date as you will not be able to access the service online or over the phone.
The eligibility criteria remain the same as for the first grant. You will need to confirm your business has been adversely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) at any time since 14 July.
This typically means that your business has experienced lower income and/or higher costs because of coronavirus (COVID-19) at any time since 14 July.
As the person who knows your business best, we expect you to make an honest assessment about whether it has been adversely affected. There is no minimum threshold over which your business’s income or costs need to have changed. You will need to keep a record of evidence of how your business has been adversely affected.
For full details visit GOV.UK and search ‘Self-Employment Income Support Scheme’.
The second taxable grant is worth 70 per cent of your average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment. This will be based on three months’ worth of profits and capped at £6,570.
How to claimSearch GOV.UK for ‘Self-Employment Income Support Scheme’. Claiming online is the quickest and easiest way to get your grant.
Like the first grant, you'll need the following to confirm your eligibility and make your claim:
1 National Insurance number – if you don’t know this, go to the HMRC app, your online tax account or ask your tax agent (if you have one)
2 Self-Assessment Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number – you can find this on your Self-Assessment papers or from your agent
3 Government Gateway user ID and password – if you don’t have an account, or have forgotten your details, follow the instructions on GOV.UK by searching for the ‘self-employment income support scheme’. Please check your contact details are correct in your Government Gateway account.
4 Your bank account number and sort code. For a building society account, please include the roll number if you have one.
We will also ask for the address your bank or building society account is registered to. Please note this is your address, most likely your home or business premises – not the address of your bank or building society.
We will use the information you have provided in your previous tax returns to calculate the grant you’re entitled to.
Once you have completed your claim and we have verified it, we’ll pay the money directly into your bank account within six working days.
Support with your claimIt’s important that you make this claim yourself, although you can ask a friend, family member, accountant or tax agent to help you. Please don’t pass on any of your information to people who offer to make a claim on your behalf. That will lead to delays in your payment.
Please claim online. It’s quicker and easier than by phone and only takes 5 minutes using your Government Gateway account. It also means we can use our phone lines to support people who aren’t able to go online to make their claim. Please only call us if you cannot find the support you need on GOV.UK or our webchat service – this will leave our lines open for those who need our help most.
A word about scamsWe are aware of an increase in scam emails, calls and texts. If someone gets in touch claiming to be from HMRC, saying that financial help can be claimed or that a tax refund is owed, and asks you to click on a link or to give information such as your name, credit card or bank details, please do not respond.
You can forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to
phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Yours faithfully,
Jim Harra
Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive, HMRC