Coronavirus key date changes from 28 February to 19 March

HMRC has just updated a key date which makes a major change to the Job Retention Scheme; and it’s a good move.

The key date of 28 February has been moved to 19 March.

So now, to be eligible to claim via the 80% employee furlough cost:

The employee needs to have been on your PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020 (so that helps employees that joined you more recently, or left for a new job and are now requesting you take them back on).

However, it still remains that employees that were employed as of 28 February 2020 and on payroll and were made redundant or stopped working for the employer after that and prior to 19 March 2020, can also qualify for the scheme if the employer re-employs them and puts them on furlough- it now adds that “even if you do not re-employ them until after 19 March”.

All details here: Coronavirus (COVID-19)