Wages of 55,000 Cheshire East jobs supported by Government

The wages of 55,000 jobs across Cheshire East have been supported by Government since the pandemic lockdown, according to figures.

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) have aided 55,000 jobs in the borough, statistics say.

The CJRS  and SEISS were announced by the Chancellor, and are run by HM Revenue and Customs as part of a package of support measures for businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Businesses had furloughed 43,400 jobs in Cheshire East up to May 31, since the CJRS was launched on April 20.

This aims to help UK employers who have been severely affected by coronavirus to retain their employees and protect the UK economy.

An announcement was made on May 12 that the scheme will run until the end of October to continue the support for jobs and businesses as people return to work.

SEISS was rolled out in May and has financially supported 11,600 self-employed individuals in Cheshire East who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak and paid grants worth a total of £34,200,000 up to May 31.

On May 29, the Chancellor announced an extension to the scheme.

Those eligible to claim the SEISS grant will be able to claim a second and final grant in August of up to £6,750.

Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: “The UK Government is doing everything we can to protect jobs and businesses in the North West and across the UK during the crisis.

“Our unprecedented job retention and self-employment support schemes have supported the livelihoods of millions and will help ensure our recovery is as swift as possible.”

(Pic under licence by Chris McAndrew)