Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure the Job Support Scheme takes account of employees with an increase in their worked hours.

To support the wage costs of employers, on 5 November the Government extended the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), and the Job Support Scheme has been postponed.

CJRS has been extended from 1 November 2020 until 31 March 2021 and for claim periods running to 31 January 2021, employees will receive 80% of their current salary for hours not worked up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. The £2,500 cap is proportional to the hours not worked. The Government will review the policy in January, taking into account economic circumstances across the UK.

For the extension period employers can furlough employees for any amount of time and any shift pattern, claiming the CJRS grant for the hours not worked.