HMRC has issued updated guidance with regards to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
It will come as a relief to many to learn that a ‘save and return’ option has now been added to the application process. This means you can now return to a partially completed claim, rather than having to do it all in one go.
It will come as an even bigger relief that the government has extended the CJRS until October. We go into more detail about this below.
Chancellor extends furlough scheme until October
It has just been announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until the end of October.
The key points announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak this week include:
- Furloughed workers across the UK will continue to receive 80% of their current salary, up to £2,500 per month.
- New flexibility will be introduced from August to get employees back to work.
From the start of August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time with employers being asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff.
The employer payments will substitute the contribution the government is currently making, ensuring that staff continue to receive 80% of their salary. The scheme will continue in its current form until the end of July.
The government has stated that more specific details and information around implementation will be made available by the end of this month. Until then, you can find further information about the new updates on the gov.uk website.
What to do if you make an error on your claim
It’s entirely possibly to make an error when submitting your claim and HMRC is working on a process that will enable you to make amends should this happen. In the meantime, please don’t amend your next claim to reflect any errors you may have made in a previous one, as this could delay payment.
If HMRC spot an error, they will where possible, contact you or your agent (us if we’re filing your claim) to make the corrections.
Avoiding common mistakes
When you make a claim through the CJRS, you should receive the funds within six working days after you apply. This is provided your claim matches records that HMRC hold for your PAYE scheme.
Ensuring you submit your claim correctly will reduce the chance of delayed or incorrect payments. The following steps should help to reduce the likelihood of mistakes occurring:
- Read the guidance before you apply to ensure you’re eligible.
- Check your calculations every time you submit a claim, in case any details have changed.
- Only submit one claim per pay period. You can’t submit another claim for overlapping periods; this means that in each claim you should include all furloughed employees paid during that period.
- If you have missing National Insurance numbers for employees, do try and find them so it doesn’t delay your claim. If an employee doesn’t have a National Insurance number, you should contact HMRC in order to complete your claim.
- Double check all the information in your claim before you submit it, including your bank details.
If you would like further information about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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