On Thursday 17th December, the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) would be further extended and will remain open to employers until the end of April 2021.

Previously extended until March 2021, the new extension will now apply until 30 April 2021 and applies to the whole of the Untied Kingdom. Sunak stated that the extra month of the government grant will provide “certainty for millions of jobs and businesses”.

As this is an extension of the existing scheme, the scheme criteria will remain the same as before and employees will continue to receive 80% of their usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. The £2,500 cap is proportional to the hours not worked.

For more information and guidance on coronavirus support measures for businesses, employers and employees, visit the activpayroll latest news page.

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