Calls for furlough to be extended

The furlough scheme is due to end on April 30, however final COVID-19 restrictions aren’t set to be lifted until late July.

Milan Pandya, partner at Blick Rothenberg, said “it’s vital that the chancellor extends the furlough scheme.”

The firm said the latest results show that approximately 10 million jobs from 1.2 million different employers are furloughed in the UK, therefore it’s critical the population is supported.

Pandya added: “The chancellor must adopt a tapering off approach to the furlough. He must also extend the business rates holiday and introduce a deferral or subsidy on employers’ national insurance and extend the VAT rate to support the hard-hit sectors."