Furlough scheme: November claims deadline less than two weeks away

The Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme (CJRS), or furlough scheme, was recently extended until 31 March 2021, nationwide. Under this scheme, the government has agreed to pay 80% of employees’ wages for hours not worked, capped at £2,500 per employee per month. This only leaves National Insurance and Workplace Pension Contributions for employers to pay.

Open to all UK businesses, making the most of this scheme could separate those businesses that survive lockdown mark 2 from those that don’t. You should, therefore, make it a priority to remember the claims deadlines:

All claims for the month of November have to be made by 14 December 2020. Any claims made after this date, for whatever reason, will not be accepted.

Going forward, all claims made must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the month they relate to. The exception being when this date falls on a weekend – in which case, the next weekday is the cut off.

It is also important to remember that you cannot claim on the scheme for any days an employee is serving a contractual or statutory notice period (including retirement or resignation). You should also keep records in support of every claim you make, as HMRC may wish to check them at a later date.

Details of the claims (employee name, company registration, and value of claim) will be published at some point in the future – although businesses will receive written notification beforehand. Employees will also be able to see details over future claims via their Personal Tax Account.

It is vital to the health of your business that you make these deadlines. If you need any support ensuring that your claims are correct, and that you have saved the relevant documentation, don’t hesitate to contact us today on 0121 456 0190.