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PA Media
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has delivered a statement setting out plans to help workers and businesses hit by new coronavirus restrictions.
It includes plans for a jobs support scheme to replace furlough, help for the self employed, business loans and VAT cuts.
Here is a summary of the main points.
Jobs Support Scheme
Image copyright Getty Images Under the scheme, the government will subsidise the pay of employees who are working fewer than normal hours due to lower demand It will apply to staff who can work at least a third of their usual hours Employers will pay staff for the hours they do work For the hours employees can't work, the government and the employer will each cover one third of the lost pay The grant will be capped at £697.92 per month All small and medium sized businesses will be eligible for the scheme Larger business will be eligible if their turnover has fallen during the crisis It will be open to employers across the UK even if they have not previously used the furlough scheme The scheme will run for six months starting in NovemberHow could the new Jobs Support Scheme work?
If an employee works reduced hours the employer pays for that. And in addition the employer and government pay one third of the lost pay each (up to the cap).
So for someone on £2,000 a month working 50% hours, they would get £1,000 normal pay plus £333 extra from their employer and £333 from the government.
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