Have I been affected?

Studio123

I'm looking for abit of advice concerning if I've been adversely  affected or not. I'm a self employed electrician and was working at council owned events building when lockdown hit. The building basically shut down in March and although has slowly opened back up theres no way near as much work happening due to lose of money because there's no events happening but work was planned till september-october time. I had a couple months off while my partner was able to pick extra shifts up to cover majority of the bills. Start of June I started looking around for work which I basically got the same reply from a lot of company's that things are slow at the minute, most of our staff are still on furlough etc. Eventually I managed to get a start on a job through an agency (never had to work through an agency before) in a field that's very new to me and probably wouldn't of got into if I had other work. Although I'm still on this job and getting paid good money but the company's getting rid of quite a few workers in the next 2-4 weeks with only a select few staying but I maybe one thats staying

For the last 2-3 years I've done work for a company at a well known Holiday parc from September till Christmas but due to the virus the planned work doesn't seem to be going ahead. Also the company had quite a few jobs cancelled meaning they've just about got enough to keep the lads on the books busy but not the usual subbies (including me).

So my question is because I'm earning at the minute and earning on par with what i would of been eanring (although this may drop when the work comes to an end) if the virus hadn't hit but I've had to venture into a different field of work and my usual places of work basically haven't got the work to keep me busy am I affected enough to be able to claim the second grant?

Thanks 

justwhat

Yes. ... You have ventured into different field.....there is no level off adversely effected ..you either have or have not.

Jeremy535897

Your business has to have been adversely affected after 13 July 2020 to claim SEISS 2 (as well as meeting all the other criteria). Is this new work part of your existing business as an electrician? I ask because there was a thread dealing with an entertainer who had no work but became a self employed courier, and the fact that he might have done OK in that business did not take away from the fact that his entertaining business continued to be adversely affected by coronavirus.

If it is part of the same trade, the next question is whether it is still adversely affected by coronavirus. Sales going down or costs going up due to coronavirus each count, according to HMRC. It doesn't have to be both. You do need to record the appropriate evidence.

If you are still not sure, but think the "good times" are only temporary, wait a little while to see how business turns out before claiming. Claims close on 19 October 2020.

Studio123

It is still electrical work but a type of electrical i wouldn't of got into had my usual places of work still had work 

Jeremy535897

Studio123 said:

It is still electrical work but a type of electrical i wouldn't of got into had my usual places of work still had work 

That's the same trade, so the last two paragraphs of my previous post apply.

justwhat

Jeremy535897 said:

Studio123 said:

It is still electrical work but a type of electrical i wouldn't of got into had my usual places of work still had work 

That's the same trade, so the last two paragraphs of my previous post apply.

If the OP as an example was doing commercial electrical work before covid then residential electrical work during covid.  Just because its the same trade does not necessarily mean he is not entitled to the grant. 

And also OP has said LAST 2-3 year he has done work at a holiday park(now dried up due to covid). This alone should be enough evidence that he is entitled to grant.  He has a track record of working at the holiday park , the assumption being this would continue if covid was not happening.

Jeremy535897

justwhat said:

Jeremy535897 said:

Studio123 said:

It is still electrical work but a type of electrical i wouldn't of got into had my usual places of work still had work 

That's the same trade, so the last two paragraphs of my previous post apply.

If the OP as an example was doing commercial electrical work before covid then residential electrical work during covid.  Just because its the same trade does not necessarily mean he is not entitled to the grant. 

And also OP has said LAST 2-3 year he has done work at a holiday park(now dried up due to covid). This alone should be enough evidence that he is entitled to grant.  He has a track record of working at the holiday park , the assumption being this would continue if covid was not happening.

If you read my post, I didn't say that. The benefit of a completely new business is that you can clearly show the old one is adversely affected, because turnover in it is down. If you replace old jobs with new jobs in the same business, it is harder to show an adverse effect. That's all.

Studio123

My normal electrical environment is mainly commercial although I've done abit of industrial and domestic but now I've had to go into conveyors systems which I've never done before and more than likely wouldnt of if my usual work was still running. Up until now in the second grant period I haven't been financially affected but have been with the type of work I've had to get into to pay the bills 

justwhat

Studio123 said:

My normal electrical environment is mainly commercial although I've done abit of industrial and domestic but now I've had to go into conveyors systems which I've never done before and more than likely wouldnt of if my usual work was still running. Up until now in the second grant period I haven't been financially affected but have been with the type of work I've had to get into to pay the bills 

You do not  necessarily have to be financially effected. You only have to be adversely effected and that may have no effect on turnover/profit or your earnings.

Jeremy535897

I think HMRC expect there to be some sort of adverse financial effect. All their examples say so, but it doesn't have to reduce profit. Buying PPE may suffice.

Studio123

Sorry I've not replied for a while. Last week there has been an outbreak of positive virus tests so the main contractor has took the decision to close site till atleast Monday. So up until now I've had to have 3 days off work but I have no evidence of this as it was just a phone call from one of the surpervisors telling me not to come in till Monday