Charity Finance Group (CFG) has written to Rishi Sunak ahead of the March Budget to once again urge government to develop a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme that helps vital charities and community groups to #MobiliseNotMothball.
In November, CFG wrote to the Chancellor setting out why the current job scheme should be adapted for non-profit organisations that deliver public benefit.
More than 100 leaders and individuals from both the non-profit and business sectors backed our call which pointed out that organisations are now dangerously caught between a rock and hard place: Continuing to deliver services whilst funds and income dwindle or take advantage of the CJRS by furloughing staff and effectively mothballing.
In the representation to Treasury, CFG states: ‘It is to help support those most in need that a simple amendment to the CJRS is proposed, to enable those social change organisations who are facing financial distress to support the salaries of staff to continue to deliver public benefit.’
The group has also pressed for further tailored measures which reflect the nature of charities and the length and depth of the current Covid crisis. These include:
- Delaying repayments on loans offered through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) loans for a further year to 2023.
- Removing the limits of State Aid for organisations delivering public benefit and therefore allow charity retailers with more than 30 shops to claim business rate reliefs on each of their retail outlets.
- Ensure that all support schemes are made fit-for-purpose for charities, such as amending the Apprenticeship Levy and Kick Start schemes which, like the CJRS, were designed primarily with private enterprise in mind.
The Charity Finance Group has also worked with other sector organisations to call for a #NeverMoreNeeded emergency package of support and has joined with Charity Tax Group, to seek improvements to the tax system.
Read the full CFG representation.
Read our joint #NeverMoreNeeded Budget submission.
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