As we all settle back into lockdown number 2, the question on everyone’s mind is “how long is this going to last?” and “Will next year be just as bad?” It was hard to expect what was going to happen when in lockdown number 1, as the Prime Minister Boris Johnson intended to keep us in lockdown for just 3 weeks in March and April 2020.

Facing lockdown number 2, many of us have very low expectations for coming out of this at the beginning of December, just in time for Christmas as Boris hopes.

Businesses have been forced to shut, with a national outcry for help as incomes suffer and bills are due. The government have set up a scheme to help self employed workers, for those who:

• Have been previously eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme first and second grant (although they do not have to have claimed the previous grants)
• Declare that they intend to continue to trade and either:
  • are currently actively trading but are impacted by reduced demand due to coronavirus
  • were previously trading but are temporarily unable to do so due to coronavirus

The grant lasts for 6 months, from November 2020 to April 2021 and will be paid in 2 lump sums. The November grant was originally announced as 40% of trading profits to a massive 80%, the February to April grant will be reviewed at a later date.

With this information in mind, the government expects lockdown and covid restrictions to last as long as 6 months, which means an entire year of covid claiming our freedom.