Following on from yesterday’s announcement to keep the
social distancing measures in place, said the Coronavirus
Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) would now be open until the
end of June – providing businesses with the certainty
they need.
The scheme, which allows firms to furlough employees
with the government paying cash grants of 80% of their
wages up to a maximum of £2,500, was originally open
for three months and backdated from the 1 March to the
end of May.
However, the Chancellor said he would keep the scheme
under review and extend it if necessary.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, , said:
We’ve taken unprecedented action to support jobs and
businesses through this period of uncertainty,
including the UK-wide Job Retention Scheme. With the
extension of the coronavirus lockdown measures
yesterday, it is the right decision to extend the
furlough scheme for a month to the end of June to
provide clarity.
It is vital for people’s livelihoods that the UK
economy gets up and running again when it is safe to
do so, and I will continue to review the scheme so it
is supporting our recovery.
The government has taken unprecedented action to help
the economy and society bridge a period of national
emergency so that as many people as possible can get
back to work as the situation improves.
This week the Office for Budgetary Responsibility said
the CJRS is limiting the impact on employment. Brewdog
and Timpsons are among the thousands of businesses up
and down the country furloughing their staff.
Future decisions on the scheme will take into account
further developments on the wider measures to reduce
the spread of coronavirus, as well as the responsible
management of the public finances.
