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Job Support Scheme FAQs and guidance

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) is set to end on 31 October 2020.

In recognising the ongoing impact Coronavirus is having on businesses, the UK government announced the launch of the Job Support Scheme (JSS) to take affect from 1 November 2020 to last for 6 months.

The JSS applies to current staff whether previously been on furlough or not and requires them to be retained on shorter hours by agreement.

The criteria for this scheme significantly differs from the CJRS and on 22 October 2020 the UK government announced new JSS Open and JSS Closed schemes.

JSS Open

This will help reduce the financial cost to the employer in employing employees who would otherwise be at risk of redundancies and thus increasing the cost to the UK government. It is aimed at the protection of viable jobs in businesses who can operate safely but are facing lower demand over the winter period due to Coronavirus to avoid mass redundancies.

JSS Closed

This will apply where the employer has been legally required to close the premises as a direct result of Coronavirus restrictions set by one or more of the four UK governments.

When you can claim

Employers will be able make their first claim from 8 December 2020 on GOV.UK. Employers will be able to claim from 8 December, covering salary for pay periods ending and paid in November.

Subsequent months will follow a similar pattern, with the final claims for April being made from early May.

FAQs

The British Chambers of Commerce, in partnership with Quest, have created and released FAQs around JSS, which should answer many questions that businesses and their staff may have.

Click here to download the FAQs.