Coronavirus update for construction: 8 July

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC) continues to drive forward its Roadmap to Recovery which sets out a plan to ‘restart, reset and reinvent’ the industry over the next two years. The restart phase includes actions to drive demand for construction work in the public, private and domestic sectors, as well as maximise employment within the industry.

The Chancellor is due to make a statement later today outlining further measures to support the economic recovery. These are expected to implement some of the recommendations in the industry’s Roadmap, supporting the delivery of the Government’s ambition to ‘Build Better, Build Greener and Build Faster’.

Build UK continues to work with Constructionline to measure the impact of coronavirus on the industry and the latest infographic based on data submitted from over 8,600 suppliers reveals that almost half are reporting at least a 20% impact on productivity. 59% of suppliers have suspended operations at some point due to coronavirus, and sites in Scotland remain a particular challenge with 63% of operations still suspended to some degree last week.

The deadline for eligible individuals to claim their first grant under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, worth 80% of their average monthly trading profits for three months up to £7,500, is next Monday 13 July 2020.

Individuals will also be able to claim a second and final grant from 17 August, where they can confirm their business has been adversely affected by coronavirus from 14 July. The second grant will be equivalent to 70% of average monthly trading profits for three months, paid out in a single instalment, capped at £6,570. Individuals will be able to claim for the second grant even if they did not make a claim for the first one.

The CLC has published guidance on obtaining bonds. It is aimed at SMEs, although the principles will be useful for all members of the supply chain, and sets out practical advice and considerations for discussions with brokers when seeking such surety.

Businesses should continue to follow the most up-to-date government guidance and for the latest updates please follow Build UK on Twitter and LinkedIn. If you have any construction-specific queries or feedback on what is happening within the industry, please contact Build UK.