The BMA has joined the NASGP in warning GP locums not to miss the 1 June deadline for £7.5k SEISS grants, Pulse reports.
The remarks come a month after NASGP highlighted the changes to members.
GP locums who have lost work in February, March and April 2021 are entitled to grants of up to £7,500.
GPs must have filed a tax return for 2019/20 and worked (or expected to work) in 2020/21 to be eligible.
The BMA has urged GPs to apply by the 1 June deadline.
The NASGP covered the SEISS scheme in detail when it launched, but GPs who have joined since Covid-19 hit may have missed advice.
Last month when the NASGP covered the expanded scheme, Dr Richard Fieldhouse, chair of NASGP, said: “This is fantastic news about SEISS that I hope will reassure many locums in continuing offering flexible support to practices.
“However, this is heavily countered by the freeze in lifetime allowance. It will be even more difficult for GP locums to plan their annual workload so that they don’t breach their lifetime allowance, and will undoubtedly lead to a drop in GP numbers. This change makes it even more important for GP locums to get expert advice from a specialist medical accountant and an independent financial advisor.”
Liz Densley, specialist medical accountant at Honey Barrett, added: “The continuation of the SEISS with a fourth and fifth grant is great news. It is particularly welcome for those GPs who only started self-employment after 2018-19, who will now be able to claim if they meet the criteria. I hope many more of my clients will be able to access the support that they need.”
Honey Barrett has published a full guide to all the Spring Budget 2021 changes, available for free on their website.
Authors write: “Budget 2021 has confirmed details of a fourth grant. This will be 80% of three months’ average trading profits to be claimed from late April 2021. Payment will be in a single instalment capped at £7,500 in total and will cover the period February to April 2021. The scheme has been extended to those who have filed a 2019/20 self assessment tax return prior to 3 March 2021. This means that the newly self-employed from April 2019 now qualify subject to satisfying the other conditions.
“A fifth and final grant was announced and can be claimed from late July 2021 to cover the period May to September 2021. This grant will be determined by a turnover test. Where the self-employed business turnover has fallen by 30% the grant will be worth 80% of three months’ average trading profits capped at £7,500. People whose turnover has fallen by less than 30% will receive a 30% grant, capped at £2,850.”
Liz has previously written a guide to the SEISS for NASGP when the scheme launched last May. She has also provided advice for GPs whose sessional income has dropped in the current tax year.