Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme guidance updated (again!)

Friday 1 May 2020

What would another weekend in lockdown be without yet another revision to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (Scheme) guidance?

On Thursday the government issued further revisions to the Scheme guidance for employers and employees, together with updates to the guidance on how to calculate 80% of salary and make a claim to HMRC under the Scheme.

Thankfully these revisions contain nothing too earth shattering and largely seem to represent a consolidation and clarification of the numerous revisions of the guidance that have been hastily issued since the inception of the Scheme.

For example, the updated guidance confirms that furlough periods can be extended but the end date of the Scheme is the last day that can be claimed for, and that employees who undertake union or employee representative duties whilst on furlough will not breach the terms of the Scheme.

The new guidance does of course reinforce the fact that HMRC will be auditing claims made through the Scheme and that payments can be withheld or repaid if the claim is based on dishonest or inaccurate information or found to be fraudulent.

HMRC has now put in place an online portal for employees and the public to report fraudulent claims to the Scheme.

You can see the updated guidance here.

If you have any questions about the Scheme, please email or call our Employment Law team today on 0113 207 0000.