The Government’s Furlough Scheme Finishes At The End Of October – What Happens Next?
As Furlough ends, the government’s Jobs Support Scheme kicks in, but how does it differ from Furlough?
Essentially, government and employers will continue to top up wages of workers who have not been able to return to the workplace full time due to the coronavirus.
Through this combination, employees will receive three quarters of their normal salaries for six months. Employees will however only benefit from the Job Support Scheme (JSS) where employers choose to use it.
The government’s contribution to workers’ pay will fall sharply compared with the furlough scheme. Under furlough, the government initially paid 80% of a monthly wage up to £2,500 – under the new scheme this will drop to 22%.
Nearly three million workers – or 12% of the UK’s workforce – are currently on partial or full furlough leave, according to the Office Of National Statistics.
Employers who use the scheme can also still claim the Job Retention Bonus, where the government pays £1,000 for every furloughed employee who comes back to work until at least the end of January.
So How Will The Job Support Scheme Work?
- The government will subsidise the pay of employees who are working fewer than normal hours due to lower demand.
- It will apply to staff who can work at least a third of their usual hours. Employers will pay staff for the hours they work.
- For the hours employees can’t work, the government and the employer will each cover one third of the lost pay.
- The grant will be capped at £697.92 per month.
- It will be open to employers across the UK even if they have not used the furlough scheme.
- It will run for six months starting in on the 1st
The Graham Agency, keeping you in touch.