Big businesses who borrow cash from the taxpayer will be banned from lining their pockets with bonuses and bumper payouts for shareholders until they've paid back the public purse, the Government has said.
Companies struggling to cope with the coronavirus have seen the amount of money they can borrow from Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme go up from £50m to £200m.
Firms who try to borrow more than £50m will face restrictions until the loan is repaid. But they will not apply to firms who take on public cash as part of the furlough scheme, with officials claiming that keeping potentially vulnerable employees attached to their company through the financial disruption is their top priority.