Originally written by Timothy Adler on Small Business
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confounded expectations by extending the furlough job retention scheme to October at the same 80 per cent support level.
Rishi Sunak said there will be no changes to the furlough job retention scheme until the end of July.
From August part-time working from furloughed employees will be allowed, with employers picking up a greater percentage of the tab. Mr Sunak said that further details will be announced later his month. The chancellor left the door open for part-time furloughed workers to be allowed back before August, providing there was sign-up from unions and business associations.
Mr Sunak said that he expects the scheme to end by November. “Eight months of support is a considerable amount of time,” he said.
>See also: Government launches business Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
The chancellor said that the furlough scheme has helped 7.5m workers protect their jobs, with over 1m businesses being supported.
Mr Sunak said: “I’m extending this scheme because I want to help the people who need it.”
Shadow chancellor Annelise Dodds said that she’d been taken aback by press reports quoting officials saying that workers needed to be “weaned” off the job retention scheme.
Ms Dodds said: “We will

Read more...