The Chancellor has announced that the Government will pick up “most of” the wages of workers.
Rishi Sunak said: “I have a responsibility to make sure that we protect, as far as possible, people’s jobs and incomes.
“Today I can announce that in the first time of our history, the Government is going to step in and help pay people’s wages.
“We’re setting up a new coronavirus job retention scheme. Any employer in the country small or large, charitable or non-profit, will be eligible for the scheme.
“Employers will be able to contact HMRC for a grant to cover most of the wages of people who are not working but are furloughed and kept on payroll rather than being laid off.
“Government grants will cover 80% of the salary of retained workers up to a total of £2,500 a month – that’s just above the median income.”
‘You will not face this alone’
Mr Sunak said “our planned economic response will be one of the most comprehensive in the world”.
He added: “To all those at home, right now anxious about the days ahead, I say you will not face this alone.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme will now be interest free for 12 months rather than the six months previously announced.
“And thanks to the enormous efforts of our critical financial services sector those loans will now be available starting from Monday,” he said.
Mr Sunak added: “Any employer in the country, small or large, charitable or non-profit, will be eligible for the scheme.”
VAT deferred
The Chancellor said the next quarter of VAT payments will be deferred until the end of June in a cash injection of £30 billion.
Mr Sunak said: “To help businesses pay people and keep them in work I’m deferring the next quarter of VAT payments, that means no business will pay any VAT from now until the end of June.
“And you’ll have until the end of the financial year to repay those bills. That’s a direct injection of over £30 billion of cash to businesses equivalent to 1.5% of GDP.”