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Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) – Get ready to claim

Posted on 11/11/2020
The new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) guidance is now available on GOV.UK. To check if you are eligible and to get ready to claim, go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

 

You will be able to apply for CJRS online from tomorrow – Wednesday 11 November – for periods from 1 November. You will need to submit any claims for November by 14 December 2020.
There is a lot of new and important detail in how to calculate the new CJRS claim, so please take the time to read and study the information below.

There are now monthly deadlines for claims.

Claims for periods on/after 1 November must be submitted within 14 calendar days after the month they relate to, unless this falls on a weekend, in which case the deadline is the next week day. This will make the deadlines as follows:
Claim for furlough days in Claim must be submitted by
November 2020 14 December 2020
December 2020 14 January 2021
January 2021 15 February 2021
February 2021 15 March 2021
March 2021 14 April 2021
Claims in respect of furlough to the 31st October 2020 must be made by the deadline of the 30th November 2020 to be accepted.
CJRS has been extended to 31 March for all parts of the UK. From 1 November, the UK Government will pay 80% of employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. The UK Government will review the policy in January.

Employers and their employees do not need to have used the scheme before to claim for periods from 1 November. Go to GOV.UK for full eligibility criteria.
Because of this the Job Retention Bonus will no longer be paid in February 2021 and an alternative retention incentive will be put in place at the appropriate time. (understandable, as you still have the option to have employees furlough potentially during the February period.)

The launch of the Job Support Scheme has also been postponed.

Instruction for furloughed employers

What you must do . . .
  • Read the new guidance – go to GOV.UK and search ‘Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ – to check if you are eligible.
  • Agree working hours with your employees you wish to furlough for November and agree any changes to their employment contact.
  • Work out how much you can claim for your employees using our CJRS calculator and examples on GOV.UK.
  • Submit any claims for periods from 1 November before no later than 14 December.
Employers will need to keep the records that support the amount of CJRS grant they claim, in case HMRC need to check it. Employers and authorised agents can view, print or download copies of previously submitted claims by logging onto their CJRS service on GOV.UK.

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