Support for businesses and self-employed people during coronavirus

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is being extended until 31 March 2021.

30 November 2020 is the last day employers can submit or change claims for periods ending on or before 31 October 2020.

If you cannot maintain your workforce because your operations have been affected by coronavirus (COVID-19), you can furlough employees and apply for a grant to cover a portion of their usual monthly wage costs where you record them as being on furlough.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until 31 March 2021. From 1 November 2020 you can claim 80% of an employee’s usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.

You can claim for employees who were employed on 30 October 2020, as long as you have made a PAYE RTI submission to HMRC between the 20 March 2020 and 30 October 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee. This may differ where you have re-employed an employee after 23 September 2020. The government will review the scheme in January 2021.

All employers with a UK bank account and UK PAYE schemes can claim the grant. You do not need to have previously claimed for an employee before the 30 October 2020 to claim for periods from 1 November 2020.

Employers can furlough employees for any amount of time and any work pattern, while still being able to claim the grant for the hours not worked. 

Employers can continue to claim for periods ending on or before 31 October 2020 until the deadline on 30 November 2020. You might need to contribute towards the cost of your furloughed employees’ wages for these periods. For periods from 1 November 2020, you will only need to pay for the cost of employer NICs and pension costs.

Find out more information on employer contributions to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.