Employees who changed roles last month and seasonal workers now covered by furlough scheme

Employees who changed jobs last month are now covered by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) after HMRC issued an update to the guidance.

It has confirmed that those who were on PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020 will now qualify for the scheme, after employees who had recently changed roles complained that the original cut off of 28 February left them in limbo.

The change also means that thousands of seasonal staff who were due to join for Easter and the summer will be covered.

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls said: "This is great news for the sector and a welcome sign that the government has listened to our concerns and those of the workforce.

"This will provide some very valuable peace of mind for employees who had missed the previous deadline, and it will give businesses some breathing room knowing that they will be in a stronger situation once they are in a position to reopen."