Chancellor expands furlough scheme for businesses

Starts beginning of November

Adam Saville
clock • 3 min read

Employer contribution level reduced and number of required working hours also cut

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has today (22 October) announced a new support package for businesses to replace the furlough scheme from the start of November. It will reduce the level of employer contribution to 5% of a workers' salary - down from the previous level of 33%. The new measures, outlined just 10 days before the job support scheme (JSS) was due to come into effect, will also cut the number of hours an employee must work before a company can receive support, reducing it to 20% from 33%. Mr Sunak said that if someone was being paid £587 of their unworked hours, the government wo...

To continue reading this article...

Join COVER for free

  • Unlimited access to real-time news, key trend analysis and industry insights.
  • Stay on top of the latest developments around health and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion and the cost of living crisis.
  • Receive breaking news stories straight to your inbox in the daily newsletter.
  • Members only access to monthly programme 'The COVER Review'
  • Be the first to hear about our CPD accredited events and awards programmes.

Join now

 

Already a Cover member?

Login

More on Regulation

IPT set for another record year

IPT set for another record year

Taxation hits £6.78bn in FY25/26

Cameron Roberts
clock 19 December 2025 • 2 min read
Strong year predicted for IHT receipts

Strong year predicted for IHT receipts

£5.8bn for first eight months of 2025/26

Jen Frost
clock 19 December 2025 • 2 min read
FCA responds to Which? super complaint

FCA responds to Which? super complaint

Expansion of insurance work in 2026

Cameron Roberts
clock 18 December 2025 • 2 min read