There were 67,000 claims from employers made in the first 30 minutes of the Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which went live today.

The job retention scheme, announced in March by Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, as part of a package of support to protect jobs and businesses, will allow employers to claim for a cash grant of up to 80% of a furloughed employees wages, capped at £2,500 a month.

“Millions” of people across the UK are expected to benefit from the scheme, and employers can apply for direct cash grants through HMRC’s new online portal – with the money expected to land in their bank accounts within six working days, according to HMRC.

HMRC chief executive, Jim Harra, told the BBC's Today programme that 67,000 claims from employers had been made in the first 30 minutes after it had gone live.

Chancellor, 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.”

Commenting on the news that applications were now open, BCC director general, Adam Marshall, added: “The opening of the job retention scheme is an important milestone for businesses, who can now begin to access the cash they need to pay their staff and protect livelihoods.

“The Government deserves credit for the speed, scale and flexibility of its response to the challenges facing our business communities. The focus should now be on delivering this support to firms on the ground.

“Our research indicates that two-thirds of firms have furloughed some portion of their workforce. With April’s payday approaching, it is essential that the application process is smooth and that payments are made as soon as possible. Any delay would exacerbate the cash crisis many companies are facing and could threaten jobs and businesses.”

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