UK furlough scheme now covers 8.9 million workers

Some 8.9 million workers are now covered by the government’s furlough scheme, the Treasury has said.

Claims for subsidies filed by employers have now reached £19.6bn, it added.

The scheme, brought in to mitigate the effects of coronavirus, allows employees to receive 80% of their monthly salary up to £2,500.

A similar scheme for self-employed workers, known as the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, has seen 2.6 million claims made worth £7.5bn.

This differs from the furlough scheme because it is a grant paid out in a single instalment covering three months and amounting to 80% of average profit.

Self-employed workers can continue to apply for the first SEISS grant until 13 July. Applications for a second grant will open in August.

The furlough scheme, officially called the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, was originally intended to last until the end of July, but has now been extended until the end of October.