Revised Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) guidance has been delivered today as promised

Dear @PAYadvice,

Please share the following message sent on behalf of the Chief Executive and Permanent Secretary – HMRC 

I’m writing to let you know that new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) guidance is now available on GOV.UK. To check if you or your clients are eligible and to get ready to claim, go to:

You or your clients will be able to apply for CJRS online from tomorrow – Wednesday 11 November –for periods from 1 November. You will need to submit any claims for November by 14 December 2020.

What’s new in the support available

· CJRS has been extended to 31 March for all parts of the UK. From 1 November, the UK Government will pay 80% of employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. The UK Government will review the policy in January.

· Employers and their employees do not need to have used the scheme before to claim for periods from 1 November. Go to GOV.UK for full eligibility criteria.

·         HMRC intend to publish details of employers who use the scheme for claim periods from December, and employees will be able to find out if their employer has claimed for them under the scheme.

· There are now monthly deadlines for claims. Claims for periods on/after 1 November must be submitted within 14 calendar days after the month they relate to, unless this falls on a weekend, in which case the deadline is the next week day. For further details:

·         The Job Retention Bonus will no longer be paid in February 2021 and an alternative retention incentive will be put in place at the appropriate time.

·         The launch of the Job Support Scheme has also been postponed.

What you or your clients need to do now

Submit any claims for periods up to 31 October on or before 30 November. Claims for periods up to 31 October will not be accepted after 30 November. Claims are subject to eligibility and the rules in force at the time. Search ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK for full eligibility criteria.

What you or your clients need to do for your claims for periods from 1 November

·         Read the new guidance – go to GOV.UK and search ‘Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ – to check if you or your clients are eligible.

·         Agree working hours with your employees you wish to furlough for November and agree any changes to their employment contact.

·         Work out how much you can claim for your employees using our CJRS calculator and examples on GOV.UK.

· Submit any claims for periods from 1 November before no later than 14 December.

Employers will need to keep the records that support the amount of CJRS grant they claim, in case HMRC need to check it. Employers and authorised agents can view, print or download copies of previously submitted claims by logging onto their CJRS service on GOV.UK.

Further support

Thousands of people have viewed, and benefited from, our live webinars which now offer more support on changes to CJRS, and how they affect you. To book online, or to view updated guidance, go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.

Our phone lines and webchat remain very busy, so the quickest way to find the support you need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.

Protect yourself from scams

Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages to make them seem authentic. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.

Access the National Cyber Security Centre’s new guide on how to stay secure online and protect yourself or your business against cyber crime by searching ‘Cyber Aware’ on GOV.UK.

I hope this information helps you and your clients. We’ll continue to keep you updated on scheme developments over the coming weeks.

PAYadvice.UK 10/11/2020