Housing – April 2020 Summary

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published guidance for landlords, tenants and local authorities on the private and social rented sectors in the context of Covid-19.

This includes guidance around changes to the repossession of property during the Covid-19 Pandemic. While the majority of legal changes do not impact almshouses, it is worth noting that licensees that are protected by the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 will not be able to be set aside ‘non-essentially’.

Further information and guidance can be found here.

Property and Planning – April 2020 Summary

Necessary building safety improvements can continue.

MHCLG, mayors and local leaders have pledged to ensure vital building safety improvements can continue during the coronavirus pandemic. It is clear that the safety of buildings remains a top priority and measures have been put in place to ensure that vital work can continue and should not be put off as a result of lockdown.

It is important to note that the removal of non-ACM cladding is considered to be vital work. Further details can be found here.

Charities and Charity law – April 2020 Summary

The Charity Commission has published new guidance for the charity sector in relation to the Coronavirus outbreak – The guidance covers:

  • Charity objects: understand if you can help with coronavirus efforts
  • Support to pay charity staff
  • Using reserves and restricted funds
  • AGMs and other meetings: postponing or cancelling meetings
  • Holding meetings online or by telephone
  • Reporting serious incidents to the Charity Commission
  • Keeping people safe

It is also worth noting that the Charity Commission’s contact centre remains open Mon – Fri, 9am – 5pm and can be reached on 0300 066 9197. The contact centre will be prioritising Coronavirus related issues.  

The Charity Commission has provided financial guidance and links to support during the Coronavirus Pandemic – The Charity Commission has published financial guidance and links to financial support for charities during The Pandemic.

Adult social care & support for tenants – April 2020 Summary

Action plan to support adult social care sector – The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published an action plan to support the adult social care sector in England. While this plan is not tailored to alsmhouses, it contains useful information on and links to how to manage and avoid and outbreak, PPE provisions, accommodating those coming out of NHS care and advice and support on how to keep living arrangements safe.

Loneliness plan during coronavirus lockdown – The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched a campaign aimed at tackling loneliness and social isolation during this period of social distancing. The campaign aims to encourage people to talk openly about loneliness and guarantee £5m for national loneliness organisations.

Taxation – April 2020 Summary

Digital links requirement for Making Tax Digital postponed – The Charity Tax Group reports that HMRC has confirmed the postponement of the requirement for digital links for Making Tax Digital, in order to support organisations through the coronavirus outbreak. HMRC has postponed the requirement until April 2021.

Refunding tickets for cancelled charity events during coronavirus – HMRC has published guidance on changes to help charities process refunds, collect donations and claim Gift Aid for events cancelled due to coronavirus.

Miscellaneous – April 2020 Summary

Coronavirus business support finder tool: The Government has launched a coronavirus business support finder tool to help organisations easily access the support that they are eligible for during the coronavirus pandemic. The tool will ask organisations to fill out an online questionnaire, where they will then be directed to a list of all the financial support that they may be eligible for.

Previous Policy and Governance Updates:

Click here for Policy and Governance – Mar 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance – Feb 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance –Jan 2020 Summary
Click here for Policy and Governance – 2019 Summary

Posted 11 May 2020