Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme (CJRS)

The CJRS is open to all PAYE employees on the payroll on 28 February 2020 who have since been ‘furloughed’. This means that if you pay yourself through PAYE and designate yourself as ‘furloughed’, you will likely be eligible for a grant covering 80 per cent of your usual salary up to £2500 per month plus Employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and minimum employers’ automatic enrolment pension contributions .

However, being ‘furloughed’ means that you cannot undertake any of your employment duties, which of course may well be unfeasible if you are the only employee of the company. Moreover, the scheme is not expected to begin paying out until late April.

You should also bear in mind that it will not cover dividend income you would normally receive or any other performance-related pay you may receive.