Coronavirus

This fund offers one-off grants of £2,000 to those who became self-employed on or after the 6 April 2019. Full details of eligibility are in the application form. Once completed the form should be emailed to selfemployed.hardshipfund@moray.gov.uk together with supporting evidence detailed on the application form, including bank statements. 

Any questions about the fund should be emailed to selfemployed.hardshipfund@moray.gov.uk.

Our services offer free and confidential support if you've money worries: 

• Scottish Welfare Fund – can help with money, food and household items in a crisis. T: 01343 563456 
• Money Advice Moray – can help with managing and repaying debts, help with claiming benefits, budgeting and benefit appeals. T: 0300 123 4563 
• Benefit Services – entitlement to free school meals, clothing grants, Educational Maintenance Allowance, housing benefit, Council Tax Reduction. T: 01343 563456
• Discretionary Housing Payments can help if you require financial assistance to meet your rent costs. T: 01343 563456
• Citizens Advice Bureau can offer advice and support on a number of topics from budgeting to benefits and emergency aid. T: 08000 857 145

Residents and businesses facing difficulties with council tax and business rates payments are being offered help to spread the load. If you are unable to meet your payments please contact advisors on revenues@moray.gov.uk

Where can I get more help?

Rent arrears

If you think you will struggle to pay your rent please speak to your landlord (or letting agent) now. Landlords are not allowed to evict tenants that are in financial hardship due to the coronavirus.

Universal Credit can help with housing costs if you have a low income.

Discretionary Housing Payments can also help if Housing Benefit or Universal Credit doesn’t cover all of your rent, although it does not cover non-payment of rent arrears.

Food crisis

Moray Food Plus can help with food and essentials in a crisis. They work on a referral basis from support services such as Citizens Advice Bureau (08000 857 145) and Scottish Welfare Fund (01343 563 456).

People who are facing financial hardship can get help with paying for food during the coronavirus crisis through the Flexible Food Fund.

Bills & Debts

If you’re worried or struggling to pay bills and debts, including rent and council tax arrears, Money Advice Moray (0300 123 4563) can help to negotiate lower payments and payment breaks with creditors.

Mortgage arrears

If you think you will struggle to pay your mortgage on time please speak to your lender now. Some lenders may offer you options such as a payment holiday or a smaller monthly payment for a short term period.

There is also help available from the Support for Mortgage Interest scheme if you receive certain benefits.

Money crisis

Moray Emergency Relief Fund is now available. 

Benefit advice & support

Whether you are in or out of work and you want to check if you are entitled to benefits or need help to claim the right benefits, contact Moray Advice Moray by calling 0300 123 4563 or Citizens Advice Bureau by calling 0800 0857 145.You may also be eligible forr Universal Credit.

Fuel / energy costs

Energy suppliers are offering some help to those struggling to pay bills as a result of the coronavirus – both prepay and credit meter. If you have a prepayment meter and are unable to go outside to top it up as you are unwell or self-isolating, speak to your energy supplier.

Other useful sites are REAP and Home Energy Scotland

Have you stopped working, but your job has been retained?

UK employers will be able to access the Government’s support to retain and pay their staff that would otherwise be laid off. Employers must identify staff as ‘furloughed workers’ and provide information to HMRC.

HMRC will reimburse 80% of furloughed workers wage cost up to a cap of £2,500 per month. Speak to you employer about whether or not you have been retained as an employee if you are no longer working.

Have you been made unemployed or laid off?

Some people that were paid-off work at the very start of the outbreak in the UK may be entitled to the ‘furloughed worker’ scheme. Check with your former employer as they may be able to keep you on their payroll now that this support has become available.

You may be entitled to Universal Credit. This will cover your living costs and rent. How much you will get depends on your circumstances, i.e. whether you have children, your partner’s income, or any other income and savings you have.

You would normally need to attend appointments at the Job Centre but this requirement has been suspended during this crisis to support social distancing.

Exceptions

If you have worked without too many gaps for the last 2 to 3 years, you may have enough National Insurance contributions to qualify for Jobseekers Allowance. Call 0800 055 6688 to see if you qualify. 

You may also qualify for a top-up of Universal Credit, for example for your rent (unless you already claim Housing Benefit).

Are you Self-Employed?

The Government has provided a new scheme for financial support for self-employed or a member of a business partnership and have lost income due to coronavirus. You can claim a taxable grant worth 80% of your trading profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month for 3 months.

If you are not eligible to claim under this scheme you can make a claim for Universal Credit.

If you claim Universal Credit and you are directly affected by coronavirus or self-isolating, the Minimum Income Floor will not apply to you for the duration of the outbreak.

Off work or reduced hours – How will this effect Tax Credits?

HMRC is treating a reduction in earnings due to the coronavirus as a temporary exceptional change. This is also the case if you have stopped work but are being retained by your employer as a ‘furloughed worker’. Working Tax Credits (WTC) will not reduce.

You do not have to notify HMRC of a reduction in your earnings due to the coronavirus crisis but remember to notify them if your childcare costs have stopped, reduced or increased.

Any underpayment of WTC due to having a reduced income should be paid when your entitlement is finalised during the annual review, by 31 July 2020.

WTC payments for the new tax year (from 6 April 2020) may increase. It is vital that you provide a record of your actual income for the tax year 2019/20 and an estimate of your expected income in 2020/21.

Contact the Tax Credits Helpline for the latest advice. T: 0345 300 3900

Are you unwell or shielding due to the Coronavirus?

If you cannot work due to the coronavirus you may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). It is paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. Due to the coronavirus, it is now payable from the first day of your illness.

SSP Regulations have been amended to include a person who is ‘shielding’ as they have been advised to by a health professional, or have been identified in public health guidance as being at a high risk of severe illness from coronavirus because of an underlying illness.

If you are a gig worker and/or on a zero hours contract you may be entitled to sick pay.

If you need to prove to your employer that you are not fit to work, you can get an isolation note from NHS Inform website.

If you are not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay you may be entitled to Universal Credit.

Are you claiming benefits because you are unwell?

If you claim Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit because you are affected by the coronavirus as you have symptoms or are self-isolating, you won’t have to attend a medical to prove you are unfit for work and you will not be required to produce a fit note.

All face to face assessments for sickness and disability benefits have been suspended for 3 months with effect from 19 March 2020. You will be notified about any alternative arrangements which may involve either telephone or paper-based assessments

Moray Business Resilience Forum has been set up to bring together private and public sector organisations to respond to the emerging issues being faced by the sector in light of the pandemic. 

You can read more about the forum, or find out more about the eligibility criteria and how to apply for Scottish Government grant funding.

Suppliers and contractors

The Moray Council is keen to support all contracted suppliers through this difficult time to ensure that they are able either to continue to work with us through the crisis or, where that is not possible, to be in a position to resume normal service delivery when the outbreak is over.

We have adopted the guidance recently published by the Scottish Government regarding supplier relief measures Coronavirus (COVID-19): supplier relief SPPN 5/2020 - gov.scot.

We would ask any contracted supplier who has concerns regarding their ability to continue to meet their responsibilities either during or after the crisis (even after accessing the various forms of support available) without some form of emergency interim arrangements in place and who is not already in conversation with their council contract manager to email: supplierrelief@moray.gov.uk for help.

Information on Non-Domestic Rates is available. 

The council is planning to support businesses as best we can as the Coronavirus restrictions are relaxed, in particular in relation to enabling space for social distancing and safe operation.

We are asking businesses across Moray to answer a short series of questions to help us develop our plans to meet your needs, and make sure we have the resources to assist wherever possible.

Please download the consultation questions, and send your answers to covid19@moray.gov.uk as soon as possible. We will be using the information in our planning from 9 June onwards. We appreciate this is a tight turnaround, but we want to work as fast as possible to get things ready.

Your Council Tax pays for essential services that are delivered to all residents in Moray, so it is really important that if your circumstances have not changed that you continue to pay what you should, maintain your direct debit payments, or payment plan, as detailed on your bill. 

If you’re in financial hardship, you may qualify for Council Tax reduction, among other benefits.

UPDATE 10 June 2020: Moray Council is surveying key workers about their childcare needs over summer, and from August 2020, to assess demand. 

With the summer holidays approaching, the Scottish Government has instructed that key worker childcare should continue. Families in Moray are being asked their requirements over this period by completing this survey, with the council also continuing to plan for requirements beyond August.

You can read more about this survey via our newsroom.

The survey should be completed by key worker families already accessing childcare through existing hubs by Sunday 14 June 2020 at midnight.

Category one, as set out by the Scottish Government are: Health and Care workers directly supporting COVID response, and associated staff; Health and Social Care workers supporting life threatening emergency work, as well as critical primary and community care provisional energy suppliers (small numbers identified as top priority already); staff providing childcare/learning for other category one staff, and Ministry of Defence category one workers. 

Please note that RAF Lossiemouth category one workers have already been identified, therefore there is no need for these families to complete the form. Kinloss Barracks personnel who wish to be considered are required to fill out the form in order to be assessed.

Residents who consider themselves as eligible under categories one to three should complete the form. Once category one places are allocated, further categories will be considered on a priority basis. Descriptions of all categories are available on the online form.

Families will be contacted directly, using the contact details provided, by the end of the week, with centres operational from Monday 30 March. These hubs will offer childcare between 8am - 6pm, for children aged 0 - 14.

Hub schools are: 

• Millbank Primary
• Keith Primary
• Lhanbryde Primary
• Aberlour Primary
• Greenwards Primary
• Seafield Primary
• Kinloss Primary
• St Gerardine Primary. 

For pre-school children, there will also be provision available through local partner providers.

Applications will be assessed as a matter of urgency. Moray Council may contact applicants' employers directly to confirm the applicant's status and relevant information.

Families are urged not to contact their child's school directly.

Moray Council has issued a statement regarding plans to ensure children eligible for free school meals can now access grocery vouchers instead of making journeys to schools.

If you need to explain to your child about the current Coronavirus situation, the Children’s Commissioner has produced a helpful guide aimed at young minds.

All primary and secondary schools in Moray are closed to the majority of pupils.

Moray Council has issued a statement regarding plans to ensure children eligible for free school meals can now access grocery vouchers instead of making journeys to schools.

Community hubs are now operational, providing childcare for category 1, 2 and 3 key workers. 

These hubs are within: 

• Millbank Primary
• Keith Primary
• Lhanbryde Primary
• Aberlour Primary
• Greenwards Primary
• Seafield Primary
• Kinloss Primary
• St Gerardine Primary.

Young people in S4 – S6 due to attend school to complete outstanding coursework should not attend. Individual schools will be in touch with parents/carers, using their established communication channels, with arrangements to support SQA pupils and home learning.

All lessons with the Instrumental Music Service have stopped but pupils of the service can still access learning opportunities, support and advice from their instructors via GLOW/Microsoft Teams. Direct Debits remain in place for those paying for lessons offered between August and March. Refunds for lessons not offered between the close of schools and the end of term will be actioned in due course.

We know that not every family with school-aged children in Moray will have access to IT equipment to support digital learning, but we want every pupil to be able to have that opportunity. Glow, and other learning websites, are widely used in schools and can support your child’s learning in and out of the classroom.
We’re asking families to let us know what equipment and broadband is needed, so we can make this happen.

All Early Learning & Childcare settings are closed to the majority of children. 

If you need to explain to your child about the current Coronavirus situation, the Children’s Commissioner has produced a helpful guide aimed at young minds.

This includes all Moray Council nurseries, and council-funded places in non-Council nurseries. 

There are arrangements in place for the children of key workers and, thanks to our colleagues and partner providers, we’re providing childcare at: 

• VIP Childcare
• Seafield Nursery
• RAF Lossiemouth Childcare Centre
• Lady Cathcart Nursery
• Keith Play Centre
• Earthtime
• Aberlour Primary School Nursery
• Kinloss Primary
• Ladybird Development Group
• and with a number of child-minders.

All leisure and community centres (including swimming pools) and libraries will temporarily close from the end of the day on Friday 20 March. Elgin Library will close at 5pm rather than its usual closing time of 8pm.

We’ve taken this decision for several reasons:

• A reduced number of colleagues available to operate these services, due to responsibly following self-isolation guidance.
• Reduced footfall due to government advice on minimising social contact.
• This will allow us to focus on making sure we can continue to provide critical services elsewhere in the council.

We will not deduct monthly payments for FitLife memberships for the duration of the closure, and we look forward to welcoming our customers back when we re-open.

For clarification, suspension of monthly payments applies to those memberships which have direct debits set up through Moray Council.

Our planning service is not at full capacity and so full service is not possible during this time. This will be particularly noticeable in terms of our administration support and there will be no face to face meetings being carried out until further notice. 

• Staff are still contactable by email and telephone, although staff may have limited access to check their land-line messages remotely, so email communication would be preferable. 
• Use of the ePlanning.scot system to submit your applications, revised plans and non-material variation requests is required. 
• We are currently unable to take payments by telephone for applications. All payment should be made either by cheque to the Moray Council with the planning reference number written on the back or by BACS. Please email development.control@moray.gov.uk for the BACS details. 
• Please make best use of the online planning advice and inquiry forms available 
• In the absence of site visits if applicants/agents can submit any photographs or videos of the proposed sites with the applications/enquiries this would aid the process moving forward. 
• Some elements of the planning service such as planning committees, Local Review Bodies will be subject to temporary alternative procedures and powers and any specific questions with regard to these should be directed to development.control@moray.gov.uk

As our access points are temporarily closed, anyone wishing to inspect public copies of the proposed Clashgour and Rothes III windfarm submissions can view the documents online.

Charges for using all Moray Council pay-and-display car parks have been suspended until further notice. Drivers using these car parks are not required to pay.

Batchen Lane and St Giles multi-storey car parks will close from 7pm on Friday 27 March until further notice. All vehicles should be removed from these car parks before they close.

Alternative parking is detailed on our website.

Our housing and property service is restricting contact with customers until further notice to reduce the spread of Covid-19.  These changes are required to keep customers and our colleagues safe.  In the meantime, if you're having difficulty paying your rent or managing your finances due to the current pandemic, read our guidance for those seeking assistance. 

Rents

A number of tenants have told us they are self-isolating. Understandably, their main concern is that they may not be able to pay their rent during this period. Changes in circumstances can often mean that tenants are not always in a position to pay their rent when it is normally due. In such cases, an affordable repayment agreement can be made that allows tenants to bring their rent account up to date over an extended period and avoid financial hardship.

If you do find yourself in this position because you are self-isolating, you are affected by Covid-19; or your income has reduced, please let us know immediately by contacting 0300 123 4566.

Homelessness

The Scottish Government has confirmed that there will be no evictions granted by the courts for any of the rented housing sectors. No evictions extends to local authorities, housing associations and the private rented sector. If you do find yourself in a homeless situation, please contact 0300 123 4566 (in hours) and 03457 565656 (out of hours) for further help and support. All contact should be made by telephone in the first instance.

Housing repairs

Until further notice, our repairs service will only deal with emergencies, and tenants are asked not to make contact with us for routine repairs. The definition of an emergency repair is one that includes risk to life and/or risk to property.
Categories of repair that fall into this category include:s
 

• Blocked flue to open fire or boiler
• Blocked / leaking / foul smelling drains, soil stacks or toilet pans where there is no other toilet in the house
• Blocked sink, bath or drain
• Full loss of electric power
• Insecure external window, door or lock
• Significant leaks or flooding from water or heating pipes, tanks, cisterns
• Loss or partial loss of gas supply
• Loss or partial loss of space or water heating where no alternative heating is available
• Toilet not flushing where there is no other toilet in the house
• Unsafe power or lighting socket or electrical fitting
• Full loss of water supply
• Unsafe access path or step; and
• Unsafe timber flooring or stair treads.

Gas safety checks

As your landlord we have a legal responsibility to make sure that all gas appliances, fittings and flues provided for the use of tenants are safe. We are continuing to carry out gas safety checks.  

The current restrictions on the coronavirus allow registered gas engineers to undertake essential work whilst taking the appropriate precautions. To keep you, your family and our workers safe, we will be following guidance around social distancing and taking additional precautionary measures whilst in your home.

All access points are now closed. Residents can contact us via the contact centre.

We’ve taken this decision for several reasons:

• A reduced number of colleagues available to operate these services, due to responsibly following self-isolation guidance.
• Reduced footfall due to government advice on minimising social contact.
• This will allow us to focus on making sure we can continue to provide critical services elsewhere in the council.

Our resources are not at full capacity and our ability to deliver a full service is not possible during this time. This will be particularly noticeable in terms of our administration support and our ability to carry out inspections. 

No face to face meetings are being carried out. 

• We are happy to communicate by email and telephone. 
• Use eBuildingstandards.Scot to submit your applications and revised plans. 
• No intermediate or completion certificate inspections will be carried out. The only inspections which the service will carry out during this period will relate to a building which is immediately dangerous. 
• In line with Scottish Government guidance we may consider intermediate and completion certificate submissions using alternative evidence. Please contact your building standards officer for further guidance. 
• The issuing of documentation will be delayed at this time.

Families and groups are being asked to heed the warnings about gathering in Moray’s parks and only use them for daily exercise alone or with other members of their household, as per Scottish Government rules. 

Parks in the area remain accessible but play and outdoor gym equipment should not be used and we should not see groups or gatherings of more than two people, which have been prohibited by the Scottish Government. 

Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter channels for daily ideas of alternative activities for families and individuals. .

Household Recycling Centres 

Update 29 May 2020: Recycling centres in Elgin, Forres, Keith and Buckie open on Monday 1 June, with strict physical distancing enforced. To manage traffic, and to protect the safety of our colleagues and residents, a booking system is in place.

Entry will only be permitted to the sites with a valid booking reference. Please make sure you read the booking form carefully, which sets out the materials being accepted at our recycling centres.

Make a Booking                    Booking Privacy Notice

In total, more than 2,500 booking slots will be available weekly across our centres. 

From 16 April, some supermarkets have recycling facilities on their sites. At all locations the public are advised to observe and maintain social distancing, and you are advised to incorporate recycling into your essential journeys for food or medicines.

Kerbside collections

Due to driver and vehicle availability, and to comply with social distancing instructions, we’re partially reinstating recycling collections, on a reduced cycle. From 20 April, purple and blue bins will be collected on the same day as your green bin.

From 1 June domestic glass collections will resume on a three-weekly schedule until further notice. Householders should present their glass recycling with their green, pink and blue bins, and all will be collected on the same day. Meanwhile, glass recycling facilities will remain in place at recycling points and bottle banks at local supermarkets.

Please put out your containers for collection for 7:30am on your collection day as there may be changes to your collection time. 

Please look out for your neighbours and check they are able to put their bins out. It may not be possible to come back for un-serviced bins until your next scheduled collection day.

You can check your bin dates online.

Assisted collections 

Due to changes in staff, waste and recycling assisted collections may be collected by a different crew and at a different time. Please make sure your containers are easily accessible and visible. We may have to change where we collect and return your bins from and to. 

What to do with your waste if you have Covid-19 symptoms

All contaminated waste (for example tissues, cleaning cloths, wipes and masks) must be double-bagged and both bags used tied. Keep the double-bagged waste for 72 hours in a place that can't be accessed by other people or pets, before putting the double-bagged waste in your green bin. 

The bin can then be put out for collection as normal. 

Bin delivery and repair 

We are continuing with a reduced service for the repair and replacement of bins and recycling bags. The uplift of any unwanted waste containers is suspended. We are prioritising delivery of containers to new build houses and to replace bins damaged by collection lorries. 

Litter, dogs bins and street cleansing 

There will be reduced street cleansing, including street sweeping and litter bin emptying. Please take litter and dog waste home with you where possible. 

Community events and litter picks 

Keep Scotland Beautiful have suspended. Keep Scotland Clean 2020 events, so we can't support community litter picks. This includes loans of litter pickers, collection and disposal of collected litter.