UK companies claiming furlough dropped by 12,000 in February

Fall follows peak of 852,000 in January, with some firms repaying sums taken earlier in the pandemic

The number of companies claiming furlough dropped between January and February but more than 840,000 still depend on state support to pay staff.

Revised figures published by HM Revenue and Customs showed that nearly 12,000 fewer companies claimed in February under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme than did so in January.