Government will pay two-thirds of employees’ wages if their workplace is forced to close

The Chancellor has today announced an extension to the Job Support Scheme, to help workers whose employer has been forced to close.

It will potentially see hundreds of thousands of workers have 67% of their wages paid by the government.

Rishi Sunak was forced to expand the current coronavirus support scheme, which is due to finish at the end of the month.

From November 1st, the government will pay two-thirds of your wage if your workplace has been forced to shut, and staff stuck at home will continue to qualify for the money for at least six months.

Unlike now where employers pay 55% of wages and the government only covers 22%, the Treasury will cover the whole amount.

However, it will only help workers at places which are ordered to shut by the government, for example if there were further lockdown restrictions in Greater Manchester and pubs and restaurants were forced to close.

This means nightclubs have been thrown a lifeline, alongside pubs and restaurants if they have to shut in the North next week.

The bad news is there isn’t any extra help for pubs which have been hit hard by the 10pm curfew.

The scheme will be available throughout the UK, but firms that do qualify for it will only be able to reclaim the wage cash for their employees from December.

In another blow for the self-employed, there was nothing new announced for them, and they must now wait until January to claim a three-month grant which is worth only 20% of their average profits (up to £1,875).