What is happening to the furlough scheme? The multi-billion pound furlough scheme is being extended to October. Employees on the scheme will continue to receive 80 per cent of wages, up to a ceiling of £2,500 a month. Until the end of July, there will be no changes to the scheme whatsoever. From August to … Read more
Some Britons have developed ‘furlough fever’ and are enjoying ‘a paid holiday’ at home too much to return to work with the situation ‘getting worse every day’ the multi-billion pound scheme continues, experts warned MailOnline today. Bosses are struggling to persuade some staff to come back as the lockdown eases with some people openly refusing … Read more
Rishi Sunak will set out next week how he intends to ‘wind down’ the government’s coronavirus furlough scheme amid fears within Whitehall that the nation is becoming ‘addicted’ to state help. The Chancellor is widely expected to start to reduce the scale of the scheme from July after it emerged it has a current monthly … Read more
The chancellor Rishi Sunak is under pressure to launch a second wave of furlough payments as the government’s scheme is set to run out in June. Industry and manufacturing think-tanks have warned that without further payments up to 35 per cent of jobs could be lost in parts of the UK, as businesses struggle to … Read more
Small businesses will get access to new loans worth up to £50,000 backed by a 100 per cent government guarantee, it was announced today. Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled the provision in the latest escalation of the massive bailouts for firms hit by the coronavirus lockdown. After complaints of delays and problems in getting cash from … Read more
The Treasury is planning to ‘get Britain back to work’ in a matter of weeks with new health and safety rules to be enforced in offices, it has been reported. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been look at way to start allowing non-essential businesses to reopen in a ‘safe and practical way’, keeping coronavirus out of … Read more
‘Dishy Rishi’ Sunak wows viewers as he appears on BBC’s Big Night In fundraiser to announce Government pledge to match all donations Rishi Sunak announced the government would match all Big Night In donations First £20m will go to National Emergencies Trust to help support victims Viewers praised the Chancellor for being ‘normal’ in the TV … Read more
Victoria Beckham is looking for a social media manager for her fashion label – in the same week she controversially furloughed 30 staff members, it emerged today. An advert for the role, to ‘run global strategy’, was posted just days before it was revealed that the former Spice Girl would be taking advantage of the … Read more
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak last night dismissed calls for the Government to ramp up the level of support it is providing for small businesses to survive the coronavirus shutdown, insisting it was already providing enough help. At the televised news conference he said that increasing the Government guarantee on loans to help small … Read more
Yesterday was Rishi Sunak’s turn to host the Downing Street press briefing. Ugh. What a way to start the week. Forgive the mope, but just seeing the Chancellor nowadays is enough to make you groan in despair, like running into a traffic warden or those men on the beach who pop up out of nowhere … Read more
More than a million furloughed workers will get taxpayer-funded wage subsidies after a huge claims rush by firms. More than 2,200 applications per minute flooded in when the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme opened at 8am yesterday. By 4pm, 140,000 had been received. Chancellor Rishi Sunak praised thousands of staff at HM Revenue and Customs and … Read more
Boris Johnson today moved to snuff out Cabinet pressure for an early easing of lockdown, making clear that a second peak in the coronavirus outbreak is the biggest threat to the country. The PM has intervened from his recuperation at Chequers to warn there must not be any let-up in the draconian curbs until scientists … Read more
The Government’s coronavirus furlough scheme website opened today with a capacity of up to 450,000 claims per hour – as millions of Britons face losing work amid the ongoing pandemic. The scheme for workers who have been furloughed – given a temporary leave of absence – opened today and Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £1.25 … Read more