Staff put on furlough by their employers will continue to have the bulk of their wages paid until at least the end of June, the government has announced.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed an extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for an additional month.
It comes after the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown was extended by a further three weeks.
The scheme sees the Government pay 80 per cent of an employee’s wages up to £2,500 a month if they are kept on a company’s books rather than laid off.
It had been expected that the initiative would run until the end of May, but an extension has now been announced.
Mr Sunak said: "With the extension of the coronavirus lockdown measures, it is the right decision to extend the furlough scheme for a month to the end of June to provide clarity.
"It is vital for people’s livelihoods that the UK economy gets up and running again when it is safe to do so, and I will continue to review the scheme so it is supporting our recovery."
