mteb/FeedbackQARetrieval huggingface dataset:
Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you’re already getting benefits
Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
If you’re currently getting tax credits and you cannot work or you’re working
fewer hours because of coronavirus, you do not need to tell HMRC about this
change as long as you’re still employed or self-employed.
You must still tell HMRC about other changes to your
circumstances. This includes
if you or your partner lose your job, are made redundant or cease trading.
The basic element of Working Tax Credit has increased by £1,045 to £3,040 from
6 April 2020 until 5 April 2021. Find out what this means for
you.
You cannot claim Universal Credit and tax credits at the same time. If you get
tax credits, they will stop when you or your partner applies for Universal
Credit and you will be unable to claim them again, even if your Universal
Credit claim is unsuccessful. Check how tax credits and Universal Credit
affect each other.
*[HMRC]: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs
Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you’re employed and cannot work
If your employer has no work for you to do (you’ve been put ‘on furlough’)
Your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to
operate and put you on temporary leave instead. This is known as being put ‘on
furlough’.
Your employer could get a grant using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to
help them pay for some of your wages. Check if your employer can use
it.
If your salary is reduced because of these changes, check if you’re eligible
for Universal Credit.
Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you’re employed and cannot work
If you’re not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay
You can apply online for Universal Credit if you cannot get Statutory Sick Pay.
You might also be able to:

apply online for New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance
apply for New Style Employment and Support Allowance, if you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work

You might also be able to get New Style Employment and Support Allowance if
one of the following applies:

you or your child might have coronavirus or you’re recovering from it
you or your child are self-isolating because you came into contact with someone who might have coronavirus
you have been told to stay at home for at least 12 weeks by the NHS because you’re at high risk of severe illness

You do not need to go into a Jobcentre Plus office to apply or get a payment.
Processing your application
Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), it might take longer than usual to process
your application and answer questions about it. We apologise for these delays
– we know this is a difficult time.
Advance payments
If you do not have enough money to live on while you wait for your first
Universal Credit payment you can ask for an advance
payment.
Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you’re employed and cannot work
If someone you live with has symptoms of coronavirus
You must stay at home if someone you live with has symptoms of coronavirus
(COVID-19). This is sometimes known as ‘self-isolating’.
If you can work from home
You should work from home if you can. Speak to your employer about working
from home.
If you cannot work from home
Tell your employer that a member of your household has symptoms of coronavirus
(COVID-19) and that you must self-isolate. They should tell you if you’re
covered by their sick leave or special leave policy.
If you cannot get sick pay from your employer, you might be able to get
Statutory Sick Pay from day one of
self-isolation.
Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you’re employed and cannot work
Financial support if you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)
Tell your employer that you have symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). They
should tell you if you’re covered by their sick leave policy.
After the first 7 days of absence, they may also ask you for an isolation note
to show you cannot work because of coronavirus. You can get an isolation note
from NHS 111 online.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
If you cannot get sick pay from your employer, you could get Statutory Sick
Pay (SSP) for every day you’re in
isolation. You must self isolate for at least 4 days to be eligible.
If your self-isolation began before 13 March 2020
If you were self-isolating before 13 March 2020 because you had symptoms, your
SSP will begin from the fourth day.
If you were self-isolating before 13 March because someone in your household
had symptoms, you cannot get SSP.
Check you’re eligible for SSP.
*[SSP]: Statutory Sick Pay
Guidance Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you’re self-employed and getting less work or no work
Other financial support
If you’re getting less work or no work because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you
can also:

apply online for Universal Credit
apply for New Style Employment and Support Allowance, if you have a disability or health condition that affects how much you can work

You might also be able to get New Style Employment and Support Allowance if
one for the following applies:

you or your child might have coronavirus or you’re recovering from it
you or your child are self-isolating because you came into contact with someone who might have coronavirus
you have been told to stay at home for at least 12 weeks by the NHS because you’re at high risk of severe illness

You do not need to go into a Jobcentre Plus office to apply or get a payment.
Your Universal Credit payment is based on your actual earnings. You need to
report any self-employed earnings and expenses at the end of each monthly
assessment period.
Processing your application
Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), it might take longer than usual to process
your application and answer questions about it. We apologise for these delays
– we know this is a difficult time.
Advance payments
If you do not have enough money to live on while you wait for your first
Universal Credit payment you can ask for an advance
payment.
Guidance Coronavirus: How to help safely
Stay safe as a volunteer
You can leave the house to help someone, for example to take them food and
medicine.
If you are doing this, you must:

stay outside their home if you do not live with them, especially if they are at a higher risk from coronavirus or have symptoms
limit the time you spend outside your home for example by picking up their food or medicine with yours
stay 2 metres (6 ft) away if you do not live with them
not share a car with them
regularly wash your hands with soapy water for at least 20 seconds

If you do not follow this advice, you could put yourself at risk of infection,
or risk spreading it to others.
If you or someone in your household starts to show symptoms, or if you are at
high risk of severe symptoms yourself, then you must stay at home. If you
still want to help, you can donate to the National Emergency
Trust.
If you’re worried about someone’s health
Contact the NHS:

Online: NHS 111 online Coronavirus service (for help and advice)
Phone: 111 (if symptoms get worse)
Phone: 999 (if someone’s life is at risk)

If you are worried about someone’s mental health, tell them to get help and
support from Every Mind Matters.
Guidance Coronavirus: How to help safely
Stay safe if a volunteer is helping you
Read the guidance on staying at
home.
If a volunteer is helping you while you stay at home:

do not give them your credit or debit card numbers or other financial information
ask for ID if someone you do not know calls at your home
only share your phone number or address if you need to
only give your information on a need-to-know basis
do not let them pressure you into giving information

Remember that volunteers should not enter your home.
If you have serious concerns about the behaviour of someone who is helping
you, report this to the police.
Guidance Coronavirus: MOTs due from 30 March 2020
Eligibility
Your MOT certificate will be extended by 6 months if it was due to expire on
or after 30 March 2020 and your vehicle is a:

car
motorcycle
light van
other light vehicle

First MOT due
The extension also applies to these types of vehicles that are due their first
MOT test on or after 30 March 2020.
There are different rules if your MOT expiry date was on or before 29 March
2020.
Guidance Coronavirus: MOTs due from 30 March 2020
Keep your vehicle safe to drive
You must make sure your vehicle is safe to drive (‘roadworthy’). It can be
unsafe even if your MOT expiry date has been extended.
Find out:

how to check your vehicle is safe
what rules you need to follow to maintain your vehicle

Get unsafe vehicles repaired
Take your vehicle to be repaired at the nearest open garage if it’s unsafe.
These are allowed to stay open during the coronavirus outbreak.
You can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get 3 penalty points
for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition.
Guidance Coronavirus: MOTs due from 30 March 2020
How the 6-month extension works
Your vehicle’s MOT expiry date will be automatically extended by 6 months if
it’s eligible. This will be done about 7 days before it’s due to expire.
This means that:

your vehicle will still have a valid MOT certificate for an extra 6 months
you can still tax your vehicle - you might need to wait to do this until later in the month if both your MOT and vehicle tax run out this month
your insurance will still be valid
your vehicle’s record will be updated so the police can see you have a valid MOT

You will not get a new paper MOT certificate with the new expiry date on it.
You must still keep your vehicle safe to drive.
Example Your vehicle’s MOT was due to expire on 3 May 2020.
This will automatically be extended to 3 November 2020. You will need to get
your MOT by this date.
Guidance Coronavirus: MOTs due from 30 March 2020
What you need to do
Your vehicle’s MOT expiry date will be updated about 7 days before it was
originally due to expire.


Three days before your MOT was originally due to expire, check the expiry date has been extended.


If the expiry date has not been extended 3 days before it was due to expire, email covid19mot@dvsa.gov.uk.


You need to include these details in the email:

the date your MOT expired
your vehicle registration number (number plate)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will then:

update your vehicle’s record
email you to tell you this has been done
Guidance Coronavirus: MOTs due from 30 March 2020
If you take your vehicle for its MOT and it fails
Your MOT extension will no longer apply if you take your vehicle for its MOT
and it fails.
Your vehicle will need to be fixed and pass its MOT before you can use it
again.
Example Your vehicle’s MOT was originally due to expire on 3 May 2020, but
has been extended to 3 November 2020.
You take your vehicle for its MOT in August and it fails. You must stop using
the vehicle until it’s fixed and passes another MOT test.
Guidance Coronavirus: specialist vehicle approval tests
Apply for a priority IVA test
How to apply


Apply for vehicle approval in the normal way if you have not already done this.


Download and fill in the Application for a priority examination form (PDF, 1.26MB, 4 pages)


Email the form to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).


Priority IVA tests
emergency.iva.test@dvsa.gov.uk
[PDF]: Portable Document Format
  [DVSA]: Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
  *[ IVA]: individual vehicle approval
Guidance Coronavirus: specialist vehicle approval tests
Apply for a priority IVA test
You can apply for a priority IVA test before 22 June 2020. Tests will be
allocated on a priority basis.
A limited number of tests are available. This means that:

you might not get an appointment for a test
your appointment might be changed if a higher-priority vehicle needs to be tested

Depending on your vehicle, you might need:

a full inspection
a partial inspection
to send photo or video evidence

*[IVA]: individual vehicle approval
Guidance Coronavirus: specialist vehicle approval tests
Apply for a priority IVA test
Eligible vehicles
When you apply, you need to say which of these 6 categories your vehicle is
in.
If your vehicle is being used to support the coronavirus response you’ll also
need to provide proof with your application - for example, a statement from
the vehicle operator saying what the vehicle will be used for.
1. Vehicles critical to the coronavirus response
A vehicle is critical to the coronavirus response if it is:

an ambulance
an emergency services vehicle
a hearse
specifically designed and built to transport patients that need medical treatment (it cannot have more than 8 seats in addition to the driver’s seat)

2. Goods vehicles being used to support the coronavirus response
You need to prove the goods vehicle will be used to support the coronavirus
response (for example, transporting food products, household essentials,
clinical or medical supplies).
3. Vehicles manufactured in Great Britain
This includes vehicles that have had a second stage manufactured in Great
Britain.
4. European approved vehicles with an expired certificate of conformity
5. Imported vehicles
This includes imported vehicles approved to a non-European standard.
6. Amateur built or rebuilt vehicles
For example kit cars
Guidance Critical workers who can access schools or educational settings
Vulnerable children and young people
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, for the purposes of continued
attendance at educational settings, vulnerable children and young people are
defined as those who:

are assessed as being in need under section 17 of the Children Act 1989, including children who have a child in need plan, a child protection plan or who are a looked-after child
have an education, health and care (EHC) plan and it is determined, following risk assessment, that their needs can be as safely or more safely met in the educational environment
have been assessed as otherwise vulnerable by educational providers or local authorities (including children’s social care services), and who are therefore in need of continued education provision - this might include children on the edge of receiving support from children’s social care services, adopted children, those at risk of becoming NEET (‘not in employment, education or training’), those who are young carers and others at the provider and local authority’s discretion

*[EHC]: education, health and care
Guidance Deferral of VAT payments due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
If you choose to defer paying your VAT
If you choose to defer your VAT payment as a result of coronavirus, you must
pay the VAT due on or before 31 March 2021.
You do not need to tell HMRC that you’re deferring your VAT payment.
Payments made by Direct Debit
If you normally pay by Direct Debit you should cancel your Direct Debit
through your bank as soon as possible so that HMRC will not automatically
collect any VAT due. You can cancel online if you’re registered for online
banking.
Guidance Deferral of VAT payments due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
VAT payments you can defer
You can only defer:

quarterly and monthly VAT returns’ payments for the periods ending in February, March and April
payments on account due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020
annual accounting advance payments due between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020

The deferral does not cover payments for VAT MOSS or import VAT.
VAT repayments and returns
HMRC will continue to process VAT reclaims and
refunds as normal and most repayments are
paid within 5 working days.
Repayments will not be offset against any deferred VAT, but they will be
offset against existing debts.
You can apply online to move to monthly returns to improve your
cashflow if you’re in a repayment position.
How deferring VAT affects payments on account
If you defer a payment on account between 20 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 but the balancing payment
is outside of these dates, the amount you must pay is the balancing payment
less any deferred payments. Deferring payments will not create a repayment.
You will still need to submit your VAT returns to HMRC on time.
Guidance Deferral of VAT payments due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
How to get help
Time to pay arrangements are available to all businesses and individuals who
are in temporary financial distress as a result of coronavirus. Time to pay
arrangements that started before 20 March 2020 should still be paid.
If you’re struggling to pay your tax bill on time, or you’re experiencing
financial difficulties you can contact HMRC’s Time to
Pay service.
Get help online
Use HMRC’s digital assistant to find more
information about the coronavirus support schemes.
You can also contact the HMRC coronavirus
helpline for help and advice.
Guidance Get technology support for children and schools during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Get help using online education platforms
Schools can apply for government-funded support through The Key for School
Leaders and access one of
two free-to-use digital education platforms: G Suite for Education or Office
365 Education. The Key also provides feature comparison and case studies on
how schools are making the most of these platforms.
Organisations can use the EdTech Demonstrator Programme to contact a network of schools and colleges who are
already using remote education technology resources for help and support.
Read the other guidance on remote education during coronavirus
(COVID-19).
Read other guidance on social care during coronavirus
(COVID-19).
Guidance Get technology support for children and schools during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Local authority and academy trust responsibilities
Local authorities are responsible for ordering and distributing laptops and
tablets to:

care leavers and children with a social worker
year 10 pupils in maintained schools, including voluntary aided schools, who do not have a social worker

Local authorities should work with schools to assess which pupils require a
laptop or tablet.
Academy trusts are responsible for ordering and distributing laptops and
tablets to year 10 pupils who:

do not have a social worker
are not a care leaver
do not have access to a laptop or tablet through another source

Local authorities and academy trusts will own the laptops and tablets they
receive, and loan them to children and young people.
Guidance Get technology support for children and schools during coronavirus (COVID-19)
What happens during the application and ordering process
All local authorities and academy trusts should follow the same steps to apply
for and receive devices. The timelines will be different for each
organisation, because we’re prioritising delivery in this order:

care leavers and children with a social worker
disadvantaged year 10 children

The application and ordering steps are:

Organisations are asked to complete an online form from the Department for Education’s delivery partner. The form asks the organisation to forecast the number of laptops and tablets they need, and choose between a Google or Microsoft operating system.
Organisations will be contacted by the Department for Education to confirm the number of laptops and tablets they have been allocated.
Organisations will be asked to register with the delivery partner’s online system ready to place their order when stock is available. It may take a few weeks for devices to be prepared and loaded onto the ordering system.
The delivery partner will notify each organisation when laptops and tablets are available to be ordered.
Laptops and tablets will be delivered within 5 working days of placing the order.
Guidance Get technology support for children and schools during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Who can receive digital devices and internet access
Laptops and tablets will be provided for disadvantaged families, children and
young people who do not currently have access to them through another source,
such as their school. Digital devices can be requested for:

care leavers
children and young people aged 0 to 19 with a social worker
disadvantaged year 10 pupils

Internet access will be provided through 4G hotspot devices for any of the
following people who do not currently have it:

care leavers
young people aged 11 to 19 with a social worker
disadvantaged year 10 pupils

People aged 16 to 19 without a suitable device for education may be eligible
for support through the 16 to 19 Bursary
Fund.
Guidance Get technology support for children and schools during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Getting laptops and tablets to children and young people
Laptops and tablets will be delivered directly to the schools or local
authorities named in the application.
Organisations can:

arrange for them to be collected by families from school (with a social worker present where relevant)
organise for them to be delivered to children’s and care leavers’ homes

This should be done in accordance with social distancing
guidelines.
Guidance Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Advice to the public
4. Property searches and surveys
More detail on progressing the individual elements of the home buying and
selling or rental process and how this applies to different groups is set out
in the next section.
Your legal representative should be able to carry out searches on your
property online in order to progress your transaction and you can contact them
to discuss likely timescales.
Your surveyor can undertake surveys of the property you wish to purchase.
There are no restrictions on the types of survey that can be carried out and
you should talk to your surveyor to understand the most appropriate type of
survey for the home you intend to purchase.
On custom and self build projects, surveyors can visit plots you wish to
purchase and undertake valuations to support the release of staged payment
mortgages.

Surveyors should not enter a property where a member of the household is showing symptoms of coronavirus or self-isolating.
Where possible we encourage inspections to take place by appointment only, with one person visiting the property at any time. Surveyors should follow government guidance for professionals working in other people’s homes and guidance on social distancing.
If your home is being surveyed, you should ensure the surveyor has access to all the parts of the property they need to inspect, and make efforts to minimise contact with the surveyor, for example by staying in another room whilst they are inspecting your home.
Guidance Government advice on home moving during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Advice to industry
Surveyors and EPC assessors
Surveyors and EPC assessors are free to visit properties to carry out surveys.
Surveyors should follow the latest government guidance for working in other
people’s homes. Where surveys are carried out, all public health guidance on
social distancing must be
followed. Companies should ensure employees understand how to operate safely
and communicate this to customers.

Surveyors should contact the owners of the property to be surveyed prior to the survey to make sure they understand which areas will be surveyed and ensure that all doors and access panels are open and surfaces have been cleaned with household cleaning products in line with public health advice. During a visit, members of the household should follow social distancing guidance, staying 2 metres away wherever possible, for example by staying in another room.
No work should be carried out by a person who has coronavirus symptoms, however mild or anyone who has been asked to self-isolate.
Surveyors should wash their hands immediately upon entering the property, using separate towels or paper towels which need to be washed or disposed of safely after use.
Surveyors should be clear in any reports about areas which they weren’t able to inspect due to public health limitations.