Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered a statement setting out plans to help workers and businesses hit by new coronavirus restrictions.
It includes plans for a jobs support scheme to replace furlough, help for the self employed, business loans and VAT cuts.
Here is a summary of the main points.
Jobs Support Scheme
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Under the scheme, the government will subsidise the pay of employees who are working fewer than normal hours due to lower demand
It will apply to staff who can work at least a third of their usual hours
Employers will pay staff for the hours they do work
For the hours employees can't work, the government and the employer will each cover one third of the lost pay
The grant will be capped at £697.92 per month
All small and medium sized businesses will be eligible for the scheme
Larger business will be eligible if their turnover has fallen during the crisis
It will be open to employers across the UK even if they have not previously used the furlough scheme
The scheme will run for six months starting in November
How could the new Jobs Support Scheme work?
If an employee works reduced hours the employer pays for that. And in addition the employer and government pay one third of the lost pay each (up to the cap).
So for someone on £2,000 a month working 50% hours, they would get £1,000 normal pay plus £333 extra from their employer and £333 from the government.
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Support for the self-employed
The chancellor is extending the self-employed grant on similar terms to the jobs support scheme
A grant will be available to those eligible for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme Grant
The grant will cover three months' worth of profits for the period from November to the end of January
It will cover 20% of average monthly profits up to a total of £1,875
A further grant will be available to the self-employed to cover February 2021 to the end of April
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Business loans
Bounce Back Loans will be extended from six years to 10, cutting monthly repayments by nearly half
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme lenders will also be able to extend the length of loans from the current maximum of six years to 10 years
The chancellor is also extending the deadline for the government's coronavirus loan schemes to the end of November
Businesses struggling can choose to make interest only payments for six months and those "in real trouble" can apply to suspend repayments altogether for six months
Businesses will not see their credit rating fall as a result, the chancellor says
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Taxes
The 15% emergency VAT cut for the tourism and hospitality industries will be extended from January 2021 to 31 March
Business who deferred their VAT bills will be able to pay back their taxes in 11 smaller interest-free instalments
Self-assessment tax payers will be able to defer tax payments to January 2022