20,000 Crawley jobs being supported by furlough scheme

New data has revealed the UK Government has supported the wages of 24,100 jobs in the town – 20,000 through the furlough scheme and 4,100 self-employed people.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) were announced by the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, and are run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), as part of a package of support measures for businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Businesses have furloughed 20,000 jobs in Crawley, up to 31 May 2020, since the CJRS was launched on April 20.

An announcement was made on 12 May 2020 that the scheme will run until the end of October to continue the support for jobs and businesses as people return to work.

The SEISS was rolled out ahead of schedule in May and has financially supported 4,100 self-employed individuals in Crawley who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak and paid grants worth a total of £12.1m up to 31 May 31, HMRC said.

On May 29, the Chancellor announced an extension to this scheme.

Those eligible to claim the SEISS grant will be able to claim a second and final grant in August of up to £6,750.

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “The UK Government is doing everything we can to protect jobs and businesses in the South East and across the UK during the crisis.

“Our unprecedented job retention and self-employment support schemes have supported the livelihoods of millions and will help ensure our recovery is as swift as possible.”

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