Financial support during coronavirus
The government implemented a number of schemes to support businesses. You can find out what these schemes were through the government’s website.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) offered grants to cover a portion of the wage costs if you put staff on furlough because of coronavirus.
The scheme ended on 30 September 2021.
Since the beginning of August 2020, employers were no longer able to claim back their pension contributions and National Insurance contributions for staff through the scheme.
After CJRS ended on 30 September 2021
When the scheme ended, you needed to decide to either:
- bring your employees back to work on their normal hours
- reduce your employees’ hours
- terminate their employment (normal redundancy rules apply to furloughed employees).
If you decided to choose the third option, your employees’ pension pots remain invested with us until they decide to take their money from their normal minimum pension age or transfer their savings to another pension provider.
Your employer auto-enrolment duties
If you chose the first or second option above, you needed to continue to make the minimum employer pension contributions.
The Pensions Regulator (TPR) expects you to meet your auto-enrolment duties and to contribute in full, and on time at all times.
Find out more about guidance on payments on the TPR website
Kickstart Scheme
The Kickstart government scheme offered financial support – including pension costs – for employers who provided work placements for young people.
Eligible employers could apply for grants through the scheme to cover the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week for eligible 16-24-year-olds, as well as the associated National Insurance contributions and employer minimum pension contributions.
Applications to the scheme closed 17 December 2021 at 12pm. If you applied before then, you may still be given the grant.
Find out more about this and the Kickstart Scheme’s closure on gov.uk
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