Changes announced to governments furlough scheme

In a bid to further support employers and their staff, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced changes to the governments furlough scheme, meaning thousands more employees will be able to receive support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).

In yesterday’s announcement, the chancellor revealed changes to the CJRS, extending the eligibility cut-off date to 19 March 2020. The review of the scheme took place after it revealed thousands of people who had moved jobs had found themselves in a difficult position where the new employer was unable to claim support meaning they could not fulfil the job offer. Further to this, many old employers were unwilling to re-employ their old staff.

The amends to the scheme means that employers can claim a grant covering 80% of the wages for a furloughed employee, subject to a cap of £2,500 a month for those who were hired on or before March 19, 2020. The change is expected to benefit a further 200,000 employees.

For more information about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and to see if you are eligible, click here.