- Following the UK’s month-long national lockdown in England, the Treasury has announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), due to end on 31 October, will now remain open until 31 March 2021. Employees who were on the payroll before 30th October 2020 will be eligible.
- A policy paper has now been published detailing information/guidance applicable to claims made on or after 1 November 2020.
- Businesses will be required to pay National Insurance and Employer pension contributions, making the extended furlough scheme more generous for employers than it was in October. The cost to employers represents 5% of employment costs.
- Employees will receive 80% of their usual wages for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Businesses will have the flexibility to bring furloughed employees back to work on a part-time basis or furlough them full time.
- In addition to this, business premises forced to close in England will receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant.
- In light of the extension, the Job Support Scheme, scheduled to come into force on 1st November, has been postponed until the furlough scheme ends.
- The guidance pages published on the Government website will be updated shortly to include reference to the extension of the CJRS. Government has confirmed that there will be no gap in eligibility for support between the previously announced end-date for CJRS and the extension to the scheme.
- Government also announced the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme Grant Extension (SEISSGE) which is available to the self-employed in the form of two grants, each available for a three-month period covering November 2020 to January 2021 and February 2021 to April 2021.
- The grant will be increased from the previously announced level of 40% of trading profits to 80% for November 2020. The level of the second grant will be reviewed and set in due course.
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