7 April 2020

This update includes information about Coversure insurance cover and apprentices. 

Information about Coversure insurance 

The following information applies to those who have insurance with the NHBF’s preferred insurance provider Coversure. 

Unoccupied premises: 

Your premises will not be considered unoccupied until they have been left vacant for 90 days. This is an extension on the standard 30 days included in your policy. It will not cost you any extra.  

You do not need to inform Coversure if your premises will be vacant – this is another change to your policy terms. 

Am I covered for losses due to coronavirus? 

Very few insurance policies cover business interruption due to a notifiable or infectious disease. Salonsure policies include a ‘notifiable diseases’ extension under the business interruption section, but it only covers disease outbreaks that start within your premises, for example legionnaires’ disease. 

Unfortunately you will not be covered for coronavirus unless you have bought additional cover for unspecified notifiable diseases (subject to the policy’s terms an conditions). 

For more guidance about this, visit the Association of British Insurer’s Q&A information. 

Coversure policy holders have received more detailed information about these issues. Contact Coversure by email (huntingdon@coversure.co.uk) or call 0800 308 1000 If you have any queries. Please be patient as they are receiving a high volume of calls at present. 

Apprentices 

Can my apprentice do online training while they are furloughed? 

Apprentices can continue to train while furloughed as long as the training does not provide services to or generate revenue for the business. 

However: the government has made it clear that if your apprentice does online training while furloughed this will count as work and must be paid at the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or National Living Wage (NLW). 

If the pay they get on furlough (80% of their usual wage) is not enough to cover the NMW/NLW they are entitled to, the employer must make up the amount so the apprentice gets paid the NMW/NLW for those hours spent doing online training. 

Don’t forget: The National Minimum Wage has now increased for 2020/2021. Find out more. 

Government information about apprentices in England 

The government has just published detailed Q&As relating to apprenticeships in England during the current coronavirus crisis. Find out more. 

England: Can I pause my apprentice’s training? 

There is no need to report or record breaks in learning of less than four weeks. 

Employers and learning providers can initiate a pause in learning if the break is related to the coronavirus outbreak and will be longer than four weeks. (Apprentices will still be furloughed and employers can claim 80% of their usual wages.) 

Breaks of longer than four weeks must be reported and recorded on the apprentice’s individual learning record (ILR). 

Payment to the training provider will be suspended for the duration of the break. 

The ILR must be updated when the apprentice resumes their apprenticeship training. 

How to pause an apprenticeship 

This ten-minute video explains what employers and training providers need to do when reporting a pause in learning of longer than four weeks. It includes an initial explanation then clear instructions from about half-way though. 

We are currently seeking clarification from the government about whether or not apprentices can access online training while their apprenticeship is paused. Our current understanding is that if they do, it will not count towards their apprenticeship. 

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