Deadline For SME's Issuing Redundancy Notices Reached

FURLOUGH ENDS - Today is the deadline for SMEs to issue redundancy notices if they are planning to lay off between 20 and 99 people when furlough ends on October 31.

At PMQs yesterday the PM said “we will do everything we can to save every job” before adding, in the same answer, “we cannot save every job.”

ABC Note: Furlough was an emergency stopgap used to protect almost all jobs during lockdown.

But now that much of the economy has reopened, the government says its replacement will only support ''viable jobs which provide genuine security''.

These are jobs there is a current need for, which aren't just being propped up by the furlough scheme. As such, only employees who can work at least a third of their hours will be eligible. 

What is the Job Support Scheme?

The Job Support Scheme will run for six months from 1 November.

It will top up salaries in firms which cannot take employees back full-time.

To be eligible, employees must work for at least one-third of their normal hours.

For the hours not worked, the government and employer will each pay one-third of the remaining wages. This means the employee would get at least 77% of their pay.

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