Furlough scheme extended for new parents

The coronavirus job retention scheme closed for new entrants on 10 June in anticipation of the revised flexible furloughing aspect, which comes into effect from 1 July.

This cut-off date left some accountants and employers questioning the position of employees currently on maternity or other family-related leave. 

But on the eve of the furlough cut-off, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that parents currently on leave will be unaffected by the deadline, and the employers will still be able to furlough them when they return to work.

The guidance also makes clear that the parental leave applies to people on maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, and parental bereavement leave (which applies in Northern Ireland only).

The only prerequisite is that their employer has previously furloughed employees and has made a claim for at least one employee. Aside from that, there isn’t a deadline.