Burnley employers urged to 'apply straight away' as coronavirus job retention scheme goes live

It is one month to the day since the Government announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which aims to protect those workers who otherwise would have been laid off due to the virus outbreak.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "We promised support would be available by the end of April - today, we deliver our promise."

Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the government will cover 80% of workers' wages, up to a maximum of £2,500 per worker, per month before tax.

Employers who have paid workers and now need to reclaim the money from HM Revenue and Customs can now do so online.

“I am delighted that the Job Retention Scheme, which is one of the many measures put in place to help struggling families throughout this difficult period, is now live," said Burnley MP Antony Higginbotham.

"This will ensure people get the help and support they need to protect jobs and livelihoods. I know businesses throughout Burnley and Padiham who have kept staff on are struggling with cash flow, and so I would urge all those who are going to use the scheme to apply right away.

"Those who apply by April 22nd will get the grant paid directly into their account by the end of this month.”

The minimum amount of time that an employee can be furloughed is three weeks, and firms are not expected to start receiving money until at least the end of April.

All employers can find the details of how to apply on www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme and are advised to gather all the information and the precise calculations they need before starting their application.

Once a claim has been made the advice is to keep a note of the claim reference number and retain all records and calculations should HMRC have any further requests for information. Provided a claim matches records held by HMRC on their PAYE scheme, funds should be received within 6 working days.

The scheme will be open until the end of June 2020 and furloughed employees do not need to contact HMRC directly. Businesses should also only contact HMRC by phone if they can’t find what they need on the gov.uk website or through the online webchat.