Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce an extension to the furlough scheme this afternoon. The government has agreed to pay the wages of workers temporarily laid off due to the coronavirus.
At least 6.3 million people are currently having up to 80 per cent of their salaries paid by the taxpayer under the furlough system at a cost of some £8 billion.
The chancellor had previously said he wanted to “wean” workers off the programme. Last week, he warned the furlough scheme was not “sustainable” at its current rate although he promised there would be no “cliff edge” cut-off.
The scheme is currently planned to run until the end of June – but calls have been made for it to be prolonged. The furlough scheme is now expected to be extended