Government plans to reduce furlough pay: what it could mean for businesses

The Government’s furlough scheme has been a lifeline for businesses and individuals during lockdown - but it can’t continue forever. Taxpayers are meeting the wages of 6.3 million people at a cost of around £8 billion. The Evening Standard has revealed the government’s now looking at ways to taper off the subsidy, starting with reducing it from 80 percent of an employees wage to 60 percent. What will this mean for small businesses? Craig Beaumont from the Federation of Small Businesses joins the Leader podcast.

In order to lift the lockdown, the UK must pass five tests: does the NHS have enough capacity; has there been a sustained and consistent fall in daily deaths, is the rate of infection decreasing, is there enough PPE to meet demand, is there a risk of a second peak? So how close are we? The Evening Standard’s deputy political editor has been running the numbers, and joins The Leader podcast to share what he’s found.

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