It has been announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunk that the furlough scheme until the end of April, a move that is said to bring “certainty to businesses”.
This means the government will continue to pay 80% of employees wages until this time.
Mr Sunak said: “Our package of support for businesses and workers continues to be one of the most generous and effective in the world – helping our economy to recover and protecting livelihoods across the country.
“We know the premium businesses place on certainty, so it is right that we enable them to plan ahead regardless of the path the virus takes, which is why we’re providing certainty and clarity by extending this support.”
Not many other changes will take place, as wages are planned to still be paid up to £2,500.
By the time April comes around, the scheme will have been in place for over a year, after it was only meant to be in place for around 6 months. This isn’t the first time the furlough scheme end date has been pushed forwards.
If the employee is at work, then they are not eligible for the scheme. Only those who cannot work and have been placed on furlough by their companies can claim furlough money.
Despite this one expense being taken care of for businesses, they still have to worry about bills, rent, and more. This is an extremely challenging time for both employees and businesses, and the government seems to be doing what they can to help.
