Check if your employer can use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Find out if you’re eligible, and how much your employer can claim if they put you on temporary leave ('furlough') because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
All employers with a UK, Isle of Man or Channel Island bank account and a UK PAYE scheme can claim the grant. They do not need to have previously claimed for you before 2 March 2021.
Employers can furlough employees for any amount of time and with any working pattern, and can still claim the grant for hours not worked.
Check if you’re eligible
You can be on any type of employment contract if you’re taxed as an employee and are reported by PAYE. This includes contracts that are:
- full-time
- part-time
- with an agency
- flexible
- zero-hour
You can be furloughed if you’re a foreign national and meet the eligibility criteria.
Other types of employees that can be claimed for
Employers can claim grants for other types of employees, as long as they’re paid through PAYE.
Your employer can claim for you if you’re:
- an agency worker
- a company director
- a contractor in scope of the off-payroll (IR35) working rules, engaged with either:
- the public sector
- a medium-sized organisation or a large-sized organisation (client organisation)
- a salaried member of a Limited Liability Partnership
- a Limb (b) worker
- an office holder
Find out more about the types of employees who can be claimed for through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
For periods on or after 1 May 2021, your employer can claim for you if you were employed on 2 March 2021, as long as they have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 2 March 2021.
You cannot claim through this scheme if you’re self-employed or get any income from self-employment.
Your employer is responsible for claiming through the scheme on your behalf and for paying you what you’re entitled to. You cannot apply for the scheme yourself.
Your employer should discuss with you and make any changes to your employment contract by agreement. When your employer is making decisions in relation to the process, including deciding who to offer furlough to, equality and discrimination laws will apply in the usual way.
To be eligible for the grant, your employer must have confirmed to you (or reached collective agreement with a trade union) in writing that you have been furloughed. You do not have to provide a written response. They must:
- make sure that the agreement is consistent with employment, equality and discrimination laws
- keep a written record of the agreement for 5 years
If your employer flexibly furloughs you, they must also keep records of how many hours you work and the number of hours you are furloughed (not working).
They do not need to place all their employees on furlough, and they can fully furlough employees if they wish. You cannot undertake any work for your employer during time that is recorded as you being on furlough.
If you are concerned that your employer has not claimed on your behalf, you should speak to your employer.
It’s up to the individual employer to decide if a furlough agreement will be offered to someone.
If you’re self-isolating or on sick leave
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is not intended for short term absences from work due to sickness.
Short term illness or self-isolation should not be a consideration when deciding if you’ll be furloughed.
If your employer wants to furlough you for business reasons and you are currently off sick, they are eligible to do so as with other employees. In these cases, you should no longer receive sick pay and would be considered a furloughed employee.
If you are on sick leave or self-isolating as a result of coronavirus, you may be able to get Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is not intended for short-term absences from work due to sickness.
Your employer can furlough you if you are clinically extremely vulnerable, at the highest risk of severe illness from coronavirus and following public health guidance. You will remain eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme even whilst shielding guidance is not in place. It is up to your employer to decide if they will furlough you.
If you’re sick while furloughed
You keep your statutory rights, including your right to SSP. This means that if you become ill, due to coronavirus or any other cause, you must be paid at least as much as you would receive under SSP.
Subject to eligibility this includes those self-isolating or clinically extremely vulnerable because of coronavirus. It is up to employers to decide whether to move you onto SSP or to keep you on furlough, at your furloughed rate.
If you have caring responsibilities
You can be furloughed if caring responsibilities arising from coronavirus mean you are:
- unable to work (including from home)
- working reduced hours
Examples of caring responsibilities include caring for:
- children who are at home as a result of school or childcare facilities closing
- a vulnerable individual in your household
You should speak to your employer about if they plan to place staff on furlough.
If you’re on a fixed term contract
If your fixed term contract has not already expired, it can be extended or renewed.
For periods on or after 1 May 2021, your employer can put you on furlough as long as you were employed on 2 March 2021.
If you currently have more than one employer
If you have more than one employer, you can be furloughed for each job. Each job is separate and the £2,500 monthly cap applies to each one.
You can be furloughed in one job and get furlough payments, but continue working in another job and get your normal wages.
If you have had multiple employers over the past year, have only worked for one of them at any one time, and are being furloughed by your current employer, you cannot be furloughed by your previous employer.
If you are on tax credits
If you currently receive tax credits you should check to see what changes you have to report.
If you are on Universal Credit
If you’re earning less because you’re on furlough, your Universal Credit payment might change – find out how earnings affect your payments.
If you’re on statutory parental leave
The normal rules for maternity, shared parental, adoption, paternity or parental bereavement leave and pay apply.
Your employer may need to calculate your average weekly earnings differently, if you were put on furlough and then started leave on or after 25 April 2020 for:
Your employer can claim through the scheme for enhanced (earnings related) contractual pay for employees who qualify for one of the following:
- maternity pay
- adoption pay
- paternity pay
- shared parental pay
- parental bereavement pay
If you’re getting Maternity Allowance
If you’re getting Maternity Allowance while you’re on maternity leave, you cannot get furlough pay at the same time.
If you have agreed to be put on furlough, you must contact Jobcentre Plus to stop your Maternity Allowance payments.
If you decide to end your maternity leave early to be furloughed (with your employer’s agreement), you will need to give your employer at least 8 weeks’ notice of your return to work, but you can agree to shorter notice in certain circumstances. You will not be eligible for furlough until the end of the 8 weeks or the date that you have agreed to return to work.
If you are pregnant and about to start maternity leave
You should start maternity leave as normal. If your earnings have reduced because you were off sick before your maternity leave started, this may affect your Statutory Maternity Pay.
If your earnings have reduced because you were put on furlough and then you started family-related statutory leave on or after 25 April 2020, the amount you receive in pay should not be affected. If you started family-related statutory pay before 25 April 2020, your entitlement may be affected. The same rules apply to adoption pay, paternity pay, shared parental pay and parental bereavement pay.
If you’re an apprentice
You can be furloughed in the same way as other employees and continue to train while you’re on furlough.
You must be paid at least either the Apprenticeship Minimum Wage, National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage as appropriate for all of the time you spend training, even if this is more than 80% of your normal wages.
Check for changes in apprenticeship learning arrangements because of coronavirus in:
If you’re a supply teacher
Supply teachers are eligible for the scheme in the same way as other employees and can continue to be claimed for during school holiday periods provided that the usual eligibility criteria are met.
If you’re a public sector employee
Where organisations receive public funding for staff costs we expect employers to pay staff as usual – and correspondingly not furlough them.
Only organisations that are not fully funded by public grants should consider accessing the scheme. Your employer should contact their sponsor department or respective administration for specific queries.
If you’re a union or non-union representative or a pension trustee
If you are a furloughed union or non-union representative you can carry out duties and activities for the purpose of individual or collective representation of employees or other workers. You must not provide services to or generate revenue for your organisation or an associated organisation.
If you are a furloughed pension scheme trustee or trustee director of a corporate trustee, you may carry out trustee duties in relation to the pension scheme. If you are a professional, independent pension scheme trustee who has been furloughed by the independent trustee company, you cannot carry out trustee work that would provide services to or generate revenue for the independent trustee company, or any organisation associated with that independent trustee company.
If you’ve been made redundant
If your employer has to make redundancies, they should follow the normal rules. This includes giving you a notice period and speaking to you before making a final decision.
Your employer cannot claim through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for you, for any days on or after 1 December 2020 when you were furloughed and serving a contractual or statutory notice period (this includes serving notice of retirement or resignation).
If you are made redundant, your employer should base your statutory redundancy and statutory notice pay on your normal wage rather than the reduced furlough wage.
How much you’ll get
From 1 July 2021, the level of grant will be reduced and your employer will be asked to contribute towards the cost of your wages.
If you are fully or flexibly furloughed, your employer:
- will pay you at least 80% of your regular wages, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month, for the hours you are furloughed (not working)
- can choose to pay you more than the 80% minimum furlough amount – but they do not have to
- will pay you in full for any hours you do work whilst on flexible furlough
Your employer must pay you all the grant they receive for your gross pay in the form of money. Your employer cannot enter into any transaction with you which reduces the amount you receive. This includes any administration charge, fees or other costs in connection with your employment.
Where you have authorised your employer to make deductions from your salary, these deductions can continue while you are furloughed provided that these deductions are not charges, fees or other costs in connection with your employment. You’ll still pay Income Tax, National Insurance contributions, Student Loan repayments and any other deductions (such as pension contributions) from your wage.
How your monthly wages are calculated
If you are a full-time or part-time employee on a salary, then the amount your employer will claim will be based on 80% of your usual salary.
If your pay varies, find out how your employer will calculate your usual salary.
If you’re on fixed pay and are a full or part time employee who has been furloughed on return from family related statutory leave, your employer should calculate the grant against your salary, before tax, not the pay you received whilst on family related statutory leave.
If your pay varies and you are furloughed when you return from statutory leave, your employer should calculate the grant using the normal rules for employees whose pay varies.
How your usual hours are calculated
If you have been flexibly furloughed, your employer will need to work out your usual hours and record the actual hours you work to calculate your furloughed hours for the claim period.
Your employer should work out your usual hours for each pay period using the calculation work out usual hours for employees who work variable hours if either:
- you are not contracted to a fixed number of hours
- your pay depends on the number of hours you work
Otherwise, they should use the calculation work out your employee’s usual hours for an employee who is contracted for a fixed number of hours.
Holiday pay
While you’re on furlough you will continue to accrue leave as per your employment contract.
You can take holiday whilst on furlough. If you are flexibly furloughed, then any hours taken as holiday during the claim period should be counted as furloughed hours rather than working hours.
You can only be put on furlough if coronavirus is affecting your employer’s operations.
You cannot be put on furlough just because you are going to be on paid leave.
You can agree with your employer to vary holiday pay entitlement as part of the furlough agreement, however almost all workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of statutory paid annual leave each year which they cannot go below.
Employees can take holiday whilst on furlough. If you are flexibly furloughed then any hours taken as holiday during the claim period should be counted as furloughed hours rather than working hours. You should not be put on furlough for a period just because you are on holiday for that period. You should only be placed on furlough because your employer’s operations have been affected by coronavirus and not just because you are on paid leave. This applies equally during any peak periods in late December and early January.
Working Time Regulations (WTR) require holiday pay to be paid at your normal rate of pay or, where your rate of pay varies, calculated on the basis of the average pay you received in the previous 52 working weeks (12 weeks in Northern Ireland). Therefore, if you take holiday while on furlough, your employer should pay you your usual holiday pay in accordance with the WTR. Your employer will be obliged to pay the additional amounts over the grant, though will have the flexibility to restrict when leave can be taken if there is a business need. This applies for both the furlough period and the recovery period.
If you usually work bank holidays then your employer can agree that this is included in the grant payment. If you usually take the bank holiday as leave then your employer would either have to top up your pay to your usual holiday pay, or give you a day of holiday in lieu.
Read more guidance on holiday pay during furlough.
Pay for time spent training
While you’re on furlough, you’re encouraged to do training as long as your training does not provide services to, or generate revenue for your employer or an associated organisation.
Find out more information on training that is available.
When you do training at the request of your employer during hours which your employer records you as being on furlough, you are entitled to be paid at least your appropriate national minimum wage for this time. Usually, the furlough payment of 80% of your regular wage, will cover these training hours. However, when the minimum wage entitlement is more than the furlough payment, your employer will need to pay you the additional wages.
Employees returning to work after being on sick pay
If you’re on fixed pay and are returning to work after time off sick, your employer will calculate how much you’ll receive against your salary, before tax, not the pay you received whilst off sick.
If you’re on variable pay and returning to work after time off sick, your employer will calculate how much you’ll get using the normal rules for employees whose pay varies.
While you’re on furlough
During hours you are on furlough you will not be able to work for your employer. Your employer cannot ask you to do any work for them that:
- makes money for your employer or a company linked or associated to your employer
- provides services to your employer or a company linked or associated to your employer
During hours you are on furlough you can:
- take part in training
- volunteer for another employer or organisation
- work for another employer, if contractually allowed
For the hours you are furloughed your employer cannot ask you to do work for another linked or associated company.
If your contract allows, you may undertake other employment for the time your current employer has placed you on furlough, and this will not affect the grant that they can claim under the scheme. You will need to be able to work for the employer that has placed you on furlough if they decide to stop furloughing you or start flexibly furloughing you, and you must be able to undertake any training they require while on furlough. If you take on new employment, you should make sure you complete the starter checklist form with your new employer correctly. If you are furloughed from another employment, you should complete Statement C. Any activities undertaken while on furlough must be in line with the latest Public Health guidance during the coronavirus outbreak.
If you do not want to go on furlough
If your employer asks you to go on furlough and you refuse you may be at risk of redundancy or termination of employment, depending on the circumstances of your employer. However, this must be in line with normal redundancy rules and protections.
Details of your employer’s claim that will be publicly available
If your employer claims for periods starting on or after 1 December 2020, HMRC will publish details of their claim on GOV.UK. We are doing this to:
- meet our transparency commitments
- deter fraudulent claims
We will publish this information monthly, updating the previous month’s information with any amendments. You can view the latest data for claims made through the scheme.
You can see if you were included in a grant made to your employer for previous claim periods in your personal tax account.
If your employer has repaid the full amount of their grant for published months, you will no longer be able to see that information.
This information will be updated monthly with the latest available data.
If the information you see is different to what you would expect, you should speak to your employer in the first instance, if you feel comfortable doing so.
HMRC will not be able to give any more details apart from those available in your personal tax account. If you think that your employer is abusing the scheme you can report fraud to HMRC online.
Report fraud to HMRC
HMRC will check claims, and payments may be withheld or need to be paid back if a claim is found to be fraudulent or based on incorrect information.
You can report fraud to HMRC if your employer is abusing the scheme. This could include your employer:
- claiming on your behalf and not paying you what you’re entitled to
- asking you to work whilst on furlough
- making a backdated claim that includes times when you were working
Contacting HMRC
Use HMRC’s digital assistant to find more information about coronavirus support schemes.
You can also contact HMRC if you cannot get the help you need online or from your employer.
We are receiving a very high numbers of calls, so please do not contact us unnecessarily. This will help us manage our essential public services during these challenging times.
There is no right of appeal if you’re not eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
You should contact us if you think you do not meet the eligibility criteria due to:
- an HMRC error
- unreasonable delays caused by HMRC
You can use our complaints service if you’re not satisfied with how we have handled your claim.
Other help and support
You can watch videos and register for free webinars to learn more about the support available to help you deal with the economic impacts of coronavirus.
You can read previous versions of this guidance on The National Archives.
Updates to this page
Last updated 15 October 2021 + show all updates
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Information updated because the last claim date for September has passed.
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Information updated because the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ended on 30 September 2021.
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Updated dates in 'Details of your employer's claim that will be publicly available' section.
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For claims relating to August and September 2021, the government will pay 60% of wages up to a maximum cap of £1,875 for the hours the employee is on furlough.
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Updated with Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme end date and information on when claims for September must be submitted.
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Details of when your employer’s claim will be publicly available has been updated.
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From 1 August 2021, the government will pay 60% of wages for furlough employees up to £1,875. From 1 July 2021, employers will top up employees’ wages to make sure they receive 80% of wages (up to £2,500).
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Information about changes from 1 July 2021 has been added.
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Claims for furlough days in May 2021 must be made by 14 June 2021.
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Claims for furlough days in April 2021 must be made by 14 May 2021.
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Other types of eligible employees have been added to the 'Check if you're eligible' section. Updated guidance for when you’re self-isolating or on sick leave.
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Dates for when your employer can claim for you if you were employed on or before 30 October 2020, and details of when the employers claim will be publicly available have been updated.
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The scheme has been extended until 30 September 2021. From 1 July 2021, the level of grant will be reduced each month and employers will be asked to contribute towards the cost of furloughed employees’ wages. New information on claim periods from May 2021 added.
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Claims for furlough days in February 2021 must be made by 15 March 2021 and information about how employees can use their personal tax account to see if they were included in any December 2020 claims has been added.
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Updated to show there is no right of appeal if you’re not eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
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Section called 'Details of your employer’s claim that will be publicly available' updated. Including a link to new employer claim data publication.
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Information about if you have caring responsibilities has been added.
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Added Welsh translation.
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Updated to reflect that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended to 30 April 2021. Minor update to mirror holiday pay guidance on other pages.
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Guidance has been updated because the 30 November claim deadline has now passed.
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The information about reporting fraud to HMRC has been updated.
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Changed language to make it clear that for claim periods starting on or after 1 December 2020, you cannot claim for any days on or after 1 December 2020 during which the furloughed employee was serving a contractual or statutory notice period. Also, minor corrections have been made to the section on maternity allowance.
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The scheme has been extended. This guidance has been updated with details of how to claim for periods after 1 November 2020. 30 November 2020 is the last day employers can submit or change claims for periods ending on or before 31 October 2020.
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Added translation.
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Information call out updated to state that the scheme is being extended until 31 March 2021.
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Information call out has been updated to confirm that the guidance on this page reflects the rules for the period until 31 October 2020. This page will be updated to include the rules relating to the scheme extension next week.
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The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is being extended until December 2020.
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Page updated to say that supply teachers are eligible for the scheme in the same way as other employees and can continue to be claimed for during school holiday periods. Page updated to say that if a furloughed employee is made redundant they're entitled to receive redundancy pay based on their normal wage and not on the reduced furlough rate.
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The information call out has been updated to tell employers about the changes to the scheme from 1 August 2020. The following sections have been removed: ‘If you were made redundant or stopped working for your employer on or after 28 February 2020’, ‘If you were made redundant or stopped working for your employer on or after 19 March 2020’, ‘If you were on a fixed term contract’ has been edited to remove information relating to contracts expiring before 28 Feb. Information about the minimum furlough period has been removed.
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Page updated to clarify that notice periods being served by furloughed employees include contractual notice periods.
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Information added about employers being able to continue to claim for employees while they are serving a statutory notice period.
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Page updated with information on eligibility for claims before 1 July 2020. Also added new information on holiday pay that tells employers that flexibly furloughed employees can be recorded as on furlough during time spent on holiday.
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Added information about exceptions for military reservists.
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Information in the box at the top of the page updated with how the scheme is changing. Contact HMRC information updated to explain that HMRC cannot answer queries about specific claims.
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Page updated with information about how the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is changing.
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Welsh translation added.
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Information added to clarify that employee authorised salary deductions can be deducted from grant payments. A link has been added directing customers to check the impact on their tax credits. Corrected inconsistencies within the guidance around the dates of eligibility for the scheme.
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Page has been updated with information about the extension of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
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Information added for employees that are furloughed and want to volunteer.
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Added a link to shared parental pay guidance and a new section for maternity allowance.
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Link to the webinar help and support page for businesses affected by coronavirus (COVID-19), has been added.
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New information added on union and non-union representatives, company directors with an annual pay period and employees who started family-related statutory pay on or after 25 April 2020. Also, clarified what employers can include in wages.
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New information has been added on collective agreement reached with a trade union. Also clarified eligibility criteria for employees on fixed-term contracts.
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New information added on how to report fraud or abuse of the scheme, fixed term contracts, holiday pay, returning from family related statutory leave, sick pay and agency workers.
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Updated information on payroll date and eligibility
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New information about eligibility has been added.
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This guidance has been updated with more information about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
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First published.