Recommendation 18

Employees who were let go after 23 September 2020 can be rehired and furloughed again with CJRS extended, but if they were let go before that date then it would not be possible to furlough them. HM Treasury told us this was similar to the approach it took when the CJRS scheme was first announced in March 2020, as eligibility for that initial phase of the scheme was backdated to 28 February to include those made redundant just before the scheme was announced.50 We asked the Departments whether they were concerned there might be some perverse incentives for regional areas to stay in higher lockdown restrictions if it meant that greater funding from the employment support schemes was available as a result. HM Treasury told us that this was not something it was directly involved in, but that the sense it had was that most areas were keen to avoid the restrictions on normal life and economic activity that went with higher tiers owing to the potential damage to jobs, livelihoods and wellbeing.51 Costing the schemes and assessing value for money