It was announced in yesterdays budget that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended until the end of September 2021.
The UK Government will continue to pay 80% of employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month, up to the end of June 2021.
From July, employees will still continue to received 80% of their salary for hours un worked, but the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grants will cover 70% of employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,187.50 and in August and September, this will then reduce to 60% of employees’ usual wages up to a cap of £1,875.
Employers will need to continue to pay their furloughed employees at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work during this time, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. This means, for periods between July and September, employers will need to fund the difference between this and the CJRS grants themselves. Employers can also top up wages above the 80% if they wish, but they are not required to do so.
Employers must also continue to pay the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and pension contributions on subsidised furlough pay from their own funds.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme eligibility from May
For periods from 1 May 2021 onwards, employers will be able to claim for eligible employees who were on employers’ PAYE payrolls on 2 March 2021. This means they must have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 2 March 2021, notifying us of earnings for that employee.
Your do not need to have benefitted from the scheme before to make a claim, as long as they meet the eligibility criteria.