UK furlough Q&A: All you need to know about the coronavirus job retention scheme

The scheme has been estimated to cost the Treasury 12bn per month for 7.5m employees

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It's officially called the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and was launched in March . It allows employers to stand down workers but then claim a cash grant of up to 80% of their wages, capped at 2,500 a month. The money is claimed by the company and distributed to staff, so individuals don't have to do anything themselves. Some employers decide to make up the 20% difference, some do not.