Every nation has been handling the Covid-19 pandemic in their own way, with various protections and welfare plans rolled out on a case by case basis. One of the latest insurance plans meant to counter the pandemic's impact is a U.K. plan to support jobs that might otherwise be lost due to the virus. Now that the European Union has officially given the scheme its endorsement, £500 million will be allocated to protect over 40,000 jobs by ensuring that filming can resume once it is safe to film again.
This news is a welcome relief to a great number of producers and media workers who have been waiting on stalled productions, unable to continue working due to delays on projects. Productions that qualify will begin getting approved within days, and the program will be allowing claims to be backdated to July 28th. Other productions can continue to apply until February 28th, 2021, a significant extension from the original December deadline.
The U.K. has made it clear that the measure is temporary, but it is a significant safety net for those who get approved. Essentially, any production that started filming before February 28th can file for Coronavirus related losses and, if approved, will receive some compensation in order to counter those losses. There is still a total cap on claims however, and no production can claim more than £5 million in losses. In addition, any production that wishes to make loss claims will have to pay a fee to register, and will be required to purchase other standard insurances to make sure their production is adequately covered for a range of potential issues.
With the approval of the program, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced his appreciation for the U.K.'s film and TV crews: “Our film and TV production sector is respected the world over, filled with talented people. I am delighted that this half a billion pound scheme will get cast and crews back to doing what they do best. This move will help support tens of thousands of jobs, provide work for creative freelancers and get cameras rolling across the country.” Hopefully the program will go some way to supporting the many TV and film jobs put at risk by the pandemic.
Source: Variety