UK workers on the end of furlough: ‘Will it be Amazon, care homes or driving a van?’

The support scheme has proved positive for some, but others will have no jobs to return to. We hear their stories

Since March 2020, 11.6 million UK workers have been furloughed by their employees as a result of the Covid pandemic, with the government paying up to 80% of their wages in order to keep jobs open.

At the scheme's peak in May 2020, 8.9 million workers - almost a third of the UK workforce - were being paid to stay at home; by the end of July this year, that number had dropped to 1.6 million.