Coronavirus (COVID-19): How will it affect you and your coaching? (UK Coaching guidance included) | Welcome and General

Hi all

With coronavirus dominating the headlines, we know many coaches across sport and fitness sectors are self-employed and may be concerned about the impact on their income.

The Government has announced specific measures and funds as part of the 2020 Budget. Most of these measures relate to specific support for the NHS, local authorities and others to contain and treat coronavirus.

The reality is, that for the moment at least, support for the self employed is unfortunately very limited.

We want to understand as much as we can about the potential impact on you, to allow us to effectively call for more support for coaches across the UK. Please let us know how this might affect you by replying below

Thanks as always

Rob

PS Below is some helpful guidance from UK Coaching on employment and the coronavirus (COVID-19)

There are some specific measures around employment (taken from the gov.uk website):

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) will now be available for eligible individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 or those who are unable to work because they are self-isolating in line with government advice. This is in addition to the change that SSP will be payable from day 1 instead of day 4.
• People who are advised to self-isolate will soon be able to obtain an alternative to the fit note to cover this by contacting NHS 111, rather than visiting a doctor. Further details to follow.
• Those who are not eligible for SSP, for example the self-employed or people earning below the Lower Earnings Limit of £118 per week, can now more easily make a claim for Universal Credit or Contributory Employment and Support Allowance:

• for the duration of the outbreak, the requirements of the Universal Credit Minimum Income Floor will be temporarily relaxed for those who have COVID-19 or are self-isolating according to government advice
• people will be able to claim Universal Credit and access advance payments upfront without the current requirement to attend a jobcentre if they are advised to self-isolate
• contributory Employment and Support Allowance will be payable, at a rate of £73.10 a week if you are over 25, for eligible people affected by COVID-19 or self-isolating in line with advice from Day 1 of sickness, rather than Day 8
• The Government has announced plans to legislate to allow SMEs to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) due to COVID-19. The eligibility criteria for the scheme will be as follows:
• this refund will cover up to 2 weeks’ SSP per eligible employee who has been off work because of COVID-19
• employers with fewer than 250 employees (as at February 28) will be eligible
• employers will be able to reclaim expenditure for any employee who has claimed SSP (according to the new eligibility criteria) as a result of COVID-19
• employers should maintain records of staff absences, but employees will not need to provide a GP fit note
• the eligible period for the scheme will commence the day after the regulations on the extension of Statutory Sick Pay to self-isolators comes into force
• the Government will work with employers over the coming months to set up the repayment mechanism for employers as soon as possible. Existing systems are not designed to facilitate employer refunds for SSP

We are not able to give specific advice on your specific circumstances. The Government has published and will continue to update its own guidance, which you can find here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-employees-employers-and-businesses.

HMRC have a specific helpline for those running business and the self employed and may be able to help you in relation to issues around tax. The number is 0800 0159 559.

We would also encourage you to continue to follow guidance from the Government and the NHS as the situation continues to evolve.

Biggest issue (for me, at least) is probably going to be the long-term closure of venues where I coach. If I am unwell, it sounds as if I'll be off work for 2-3 weeks (but might get SSP), but if schools and sports centres shut down, there will be no work for significantly longer.

SSP is available to workers on zero hours contracts (not sure how many employers know this!), but appears to be limited in scope.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-sick-pay-how-different-employment-types-affect-what-you-pay#casual-zero-hour-contract-and-agency-workers

Like most coaches in the Athletics world (especially UK T&F), I am in full time employment and coach around my Job.

So apart form any financial hit that may be caused by this personally, my biggest concern is My athletes summer targets,our periodisation is going ahead as planned but Im aware that at any moment those events are likely to be cancelled.

These events are big and training is geared for specific goal at a specific time, this could of course be hugely detrimental when it comes to financial gain from competition, sponsorship and funding in general that is required to continually move forward.

 

Advice from sport England re equipment: 

https://www.sportengland.org/news/coronavirus-information-sector

I have just finished a PE lesson, and I need to wipe down 20 balls, 6 bats, and all 50 cones (because I don't know which ones we actually used today). I might just throw everything in the bath!

shouldnt laugh, but yeah throw it all in lol

Hi. I was scheduled to fly out to Bangalore, India on the 19th March for two weeks to conduct a Coach Education Course and undertake some coaching at KIOC. We had also agreed to run the same in San Francisco (San Ramone) in mid April. India has, sensibly, closed its borders to all e-visa travellers and the proposed contract in SF has to be in serious doubt. In terms of our own cricket season and the impact on my contracts here in the UK well that remains to be seen. In terms of personal financial loss to myself, to date, the figure is around £2,000

Unlike other people who coach around their full time job, I am a self-employed coach and my job is going into schools and clubs delivering coaching sessions. I am already being impacted as 50% of my clubs and schools have cancelled due to trying to limit contact. Not sure where I stand regarding claiming for those hours I have lost. 

Luckily I still have a few sessions going ahead but this does have a big impact on my income if I cannot claim for the hours I have lost. If this continues after the Easter Holidays and schools shut I am out of work and if I cannot claim for my normal hours I won't be able to pay for anything.