The UK Government has extended the cut-off date for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, in order to make the scheme more generous and to help more people.

• During this difficult time for the country, we recognise the extreme disruption the necessary actions are having on people’s lives, their businesses, their jobs and the nation’s economy.
   
• To ensure the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme helps as many people as possible, the date by which somebody had to be employed, in order to be eligible for furlough, has been extended from the end of February to 19 March 2020. This change makes the scheme more generous while keeping the substantial fraud risks under control and is expected to benefit over 200,000 employees.
   
• We have produced a huge and unprecedented programme of support both for workers and for business, and we will do everything we can to ensure people can pay their bills, stay in their homes and put food on their tables.