What is the nature of SEISS?

It has not been possible for any further applications for SEISS grants to be made since 30 September 2021. The operation of the SEISS scheme has therefore come to an end. The following is being temporarily retained only as a record and reminder of some aspects of how this scheme operated.

Payments under SEISS (to help compensate for lost trading profits due to Covid-19) were grants, not loans and so not repayable.

The scheme was only for self-employed people, not employees, and so it was important for claimants to ensure that you are clear that they were eligible as self-employed individuals. The Government’s aim was to provide parity with the scheme for employees, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

The SEISS scheme operated in addition to any others available to a sole trader or other business in the circumstances. 

If you were eligible at the time of claim but found hat later in the year your profits increased, none of the SEISS amount paid to you could be clawed back by HMRC.

SEISS initially provided payments to cover the period March, April and May 2020. It was extended to cover the period June, July and August 202, then again to cover the three month period November 2020 to January 2021, then again to cover the three month period February to April 2021, and finally again to cover the six month period  May to September 2021.