Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme extended

It was announced on 26 January that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (commonly known as furlough) is to be extended once again. This time it is to be extended from 31 March 2021 to 30 April 2021.

The amount that an employer can claim under the scheme will remain the same (being 80% of an employee’s salary, capped at £2,500 per month, in respect of hours not worked), it is just the length of the scheme that has changed.

Given that the UK economy is still in lockdown, the extending of the scheme is to be welcomed. However, the reality may be that, for some employees, all the extension is doing is kicking the harsh can of redundancy further down the line.

The law in this article is current as of 1 February 2021.

If you have any employment law queries, please do not hesitate to contact David Nathan at [email protected] or on 020 7822 2247.

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