£39.3 billion paid out in claims under the CJRS
23 September 2020
The latest figures released by HMRC reveal that, as of midnight on 20 September 2020, £39.3 billion has been paid out to businesses under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). This is an increase from £35.4 billion recorded in relation to 16 August 2020.
The total number of jobs furloughed has remained at 9.6 million since 2 August 2020, but this is in line with guidance that stated that, from 1 July 2020 onwards, the maximum number of employees placed on furlough must not exceed the maximum included in a previous claim. The number of employers claiming through the scheme has also remained unchanged and has stood at 1.2 million since data extracted from 12 July 2020.
The scheme is due to close at the end of October 2020, and in its final month will see the government paying 60% of wages up to a maximum cap of £1,875 for the month, for any hours that an employee was placed on furlough. Employers must pay employer National Insurance (NI) and pension contributions on all hours, including those spent on furlough, and must top up employees’ wages to ensure they receive 80% of their wages for the time they are furloughed, up to a maximum cap of £2,500 for the month.
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication. For all the latest information, news and resources on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting payroll professions, visit our Coronavirus hub.