Making claims and miscellaneous

You cannot apply until HMRC contacts you. If you are eligible, HMRC will tell you when you can make your claim. It advised that its online service for applications is available from 13 May 2020. Once your claim has been approved by HMRC, it will make payment within 6 working days.

SEISS will be paid to you as a single sum for March-May 2020, not monthly instalments. Payments have been available from mid-May 2020. The latest that an application can be made is 13 July 2020. In the interim you can apply for Universal Credit if you are eligible. 

For the period June-August 2020, there will also be a single sum, not monthly instalments. Applications can be made in August 2020 for that period. You need not have claimed for the first three month period in order to claim for the second three month period.

SEISS grant payments received must be treated as income and added to other income for tax purposes. In other words, it is taxable income and you have to show the payments on your tax return.

You must be trading when you apply under SEISS or would be except for Covid-19 preventing it.

You do not have to prove that you have been adversely impacted by Covid-19 nor do you have to prove the amount of loss suffered in order to make a claim, but HMRC will introduce checks to prevent fraud.

If you receive the SEISS grant you can continue to work, start a new trade or take on other employment including voluntary work.

If you operate your business through a company, SEISS will not apply, but you can, as an employee of your company, make a claim under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.