Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) was a furlough scheme announced by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 20 March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The scheme was announced on 20 March 2020 as providing grants to employers to pay 80% of a staff wage and employment costs each month, up to a total of £2,500 per person per month. The scheme initially ran for three months and was backdated to 1 March.

Following a three-week extension of the countrywide lockdown the scheme was extended until the end of June 2020. At the end of May, the scheme was extended until the end of October 2020. After a second lockdown in England was announced on 31 October 2020, a further extension was announced until 2 December 2020, this was followed on 5 November 2020 by a lengthy extension until 31 March 2021. A further extension until 30 April 2021 was announced on 17 December 2020. A day ahead of the 2021 United Kingdom budget held on 3 March 2021, it was confirmed that the scheme had been extended once more until 30 September 2021.