Rishi Sunak today unveiled a boost to his previously announced “ employment support program ”.
London:
British Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Friday unveiled a reminder of his previously announced ’employment support program’ to cover part of the wages of companies legally required to close in the coming weeks under local or national restrictions relating to coronaviruses.
The Minister of Finance said eligible companies would receive grants to pay the salaries of staff who cannot work, and that two-thirds of each employee’s salary, or 67% up to a maximum of GBP 2,100 per month, will be covered by the British Treasury. .
“The expansion of the ‘Job Support Scheme’ will provide a safety net for UK businesses that are required to temporarily close their doors, providing them with the right support at the right time,” said Mr Sunak.
“Throughout the crisis, the driving force behind our economic policy has not changed. I have always said that we will do whatever is necessary to protect jobs and livelihoods as the situation evolves.” , did he declare.
Asked whether the announcement indicated that stricter measures were planned for certain sectors of the economy, including the hospitality industry, Mr Sunak added: “The increase in cases and admissions to the Hospital in parts of the country is of concern.It is right that the government consider a range of options … but it is also right that they engage with local leaders.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce further restaurant and pub closures on Monday in areas of England experiencing a peak in coronavirus infections.
As part of the expanded ’employment support program’ which will start from 1 November, employers will not be required to contribute wages and will only have to cover a small part of the overall costs of employment. , such as pension contributions.
Businesses will only be eligible for the grant if they are subject to foreclosure restrictions and employees must be absent from work for at least seven consecutive days to be eligible.
The program will be in place for a six-month period, with a review point in January 2021.
While the opposition Labor Party criticized the delay in the announcement because it caused “unnecessary anxiety and job losses”, regional leaders facing localized lockdowns called for more help for companies in difficulty.
However, the government said Friday’s announcement came with “intensive engagement” with local leaders on potential measures in their regions.
In addition to expanding the ‘job support scheme’, the government said it was increasing cash grants to businesses in England closed in local lockdowns to support fixed costs.
This is aimed at benefiting hundreds of thousands of businesses, including restaurants, pubs, nightclubs, bowling alleys and many more that are unable to operate due to restrictions on gatherings.
Deconcentrated administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit from a £ 1.3bn increase in their funding guaranteed for 2020-2021 – allowing them to continue their response to COVID-19, including through similar measures if they so wish, the UK Treasury said.
The latest round of measures is said to build on the government’s broader package of “unprecedented measures” to help protect, create and sustain jobs during the pandemic, to ensure that “no one is left without hope or opportunity “.
It comes as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has warned that coronavirus cases have “increased rapidly” in England, based on its latest investigation and the government science advisory group for emergencies (Sage) says ‘he is “almost certain that the epidemic continues to grow exponentially across the country and is convinced that transmission is not slowing down”.
The coronavirus has claimed 42,682 lives with 564,518 confirmed cases in the UK.
