Furlough scheme ends today

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme closes today (Thursday 30th September 2021).

Nearly one million workers were expected to be on the scheme at the end of September, according to estimates by the Office for National Statistics.

This scheme, introduced during the March 2020 Budget, saw the government pay towards the wages of people who could not work, or whose employers could no longer afford to pay them, up to a monthly limit of £2,500.

At first it paid 80% of their usual wage, but in August and September 2021 it paid 60%, with employers paying 20%.

Claims for September must be submitted by 14 October 2021 and any amendments must be made by 28 October 2021.

Click here to find out more about the scheme on gov.uk.

While emergency support draws to a close, the Government will continue to maximise employment across the country, create high quality, productive jobs, and deliver the skills that people, businesses and the economy need to thrive.

This includes:

– the £2bn Kickstart Scheme which has so far placed 76,900 young people at risk of long-term unemployment into jobs

– the Sector-Based Work Academy Programme which has helped 65,000 jobseekers to date – exceeding initial targets

– continued support for employers to take on apprentices, with the government offering a newly-improved Apprenticeship Levy transfers system which will help smaller employers to fund their apprenticeship training, and a £7 million fund to support the creation of new flexi-job apprenticeships to unlock more opportunities in freelance and creative sectors

– the Government’s pioneering Lifetime Skills Guarantee will continue to transform the skills system so everyone, no matter their background, can gain the skills needed to progress in work at any stage of their lives through various programmes including ‘skills bootcamps’ and funding for adults to access free Level 3 courses.

– the Recovery Loan scheme, a reduced 12.5% VAT rate in the hospitality and tourism sectors and ongoing business rates relief are helping businesses to bounce back, and the energy price cap, maintaining the recent rise in Local Housing Allowance and increases in the National Living Wage are supporting families.