Thousands more employees will able to receive support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme after the eligibility date was extended to 19 March 2020.
Under the scheme announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak last month, employers can claim a grant covering 80% of the wages for a furloughed employee, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.
Individuals originally had to be on a company’s payroll by February 28 to be eligible, but, following a review, the eligibility date has been extended to March 19 – the day before the scheme was announced.
"This change makes the scheme more generous while keeping the substantial fraud risks under control and is expected to benefit over 200,000 employees," said The Treasury.
The scheme is due to be fully operational next week.
The CJRS is part of an unprecedented package of measures announced by the Chancellor to protect individuals and businesses.
