Residents are now able to apply for the Manx Earnings Replacement Allowance (MERA) and businesses can apply to the the Salary Support Scheme.

The government has issued the following guidance for both schemes:

MERA:

MERA will be eligible to approved applicants from tomorrow (Wednesday March 3).

Claims can be submitted online at www.gov.im from 9am on Thursday March 4.

Anyone unable to make their claim online should phone 648125 or email [email protected].

MERA is available to employed earners who are made redundant, laid off or put on nil pay by their employer, and self-employed individuals who are prevented from carrying out their work due to the restrictions and who meet the qualifying conditions.

Broadly those conditions are that the person must:

-be aged 18 or over but below state pension age;

-be present and ordinarily resident in the island, and have been ordinarily resident in the island for at least 13 of the 26 weeks immediately before the date on which they make their claim;

-be unemployed or been furloughed without pay by their employer, or if self-employed unable to carry out their work because of the restrictions;

-be available for, and capable of, work: those who are extremely vulnerable and at very high risk of severe illness from Covid-19 who have been told to shield themselves from others and cannot work from home will be treated as if they are available for and capable of work;

-have been working as an employee earning on average at least £200 a week, or been a self-employed person who has paid class 2 National Insurance contributions, for at least 13 of the 26 weeks immediately before the date on which they make their claim;

-have no earnings or earnings of less than £50 in any week for which they claim.

Employed applicants must confirm with their employer that they will not be paid by their employer before claiming MERA.

MERA will be paid at a standard rate of £230 a week, representing a £30 per week increase and initially is available between 3 – 24 March.

Unemployed people and self-employed people who are not eligible for MERA could be eligible for jobseeker’s allowance instead.

Queries regarding MERA can be directed to the allocated MERA telephone line: 648125, or queries can be sent by email to [email protected].

More information will be made available on line as soon as possible.

Salary Support Scheme:

The Salary Support Scheme is available to all businesses that were able to claim during the original period of lockdown from March 2 to July 19 2020.

All applicants are reminded that they must be able to demonstrate 25% reduction in turnover.

Businesses seeking support for February (Period 13) can claim now, and applications for Period 14 will open on March 29.

The Treasury Minister also announced the intention to increase the amount of the salary support payment from £280 a week to £310 a week. The first period this increase will apply to will be Period 14.

The Salary Support Scheme Guidance is being updated and will be published on the Isle of Man Government Coronavirus website shortly.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan MHK, commented: ‘Whilst am confident that our response to date has been robust and appropriate, I am concerned that a second circuit break in such close proximity will cause greater financial challenges for elements of our society and business. An order enabling an increase in the Salary Support payment is on the Order paper for March Tynwald.’

The updated guidance on the Salary Support Scheme will be available at https://covid19.gov.im/businesses/funding-support/salary-support-scheme/.

Anyone who has any questions regarding the Salary Support Scheme should telephone 648125.