The Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is now available from the gov.uk website - 10 days ahead of schedule. 

This scheme allows employers to claim up to £2,500 per month for each employee to cover up to 80% of the wages of those who have been put on leave due to the ongoing Coronavirus epidemic. Under the scheme, employers are not obligated to cover the remaining 20% of employee wages. 

This can be claimed for employees on payroll on or before March 19.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: 

Our unprecedented job retention scheme will protect millions of jobs across the country and is now up and running.

It’s vital that our economy gets up and running again as soon as it’s safe – and this scheme will allow that to happen.

Businesses can claim today at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wages-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme