In his speech to the House of Commons this afternoon (8 Jul 20), Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP announced the following measures to help businesses recover from COVID-19:

• Job retention bonus - If workers who have been furloughed are brought back to work and are then continuously employed through Jan 21, earning at least £520pm, employers will receive a £1,000 bonus per furloughed employee;
• £2bn kickstart scheme - Government will pay the minimum wage, up to 25 hours per  week (and employers are able to top-up wages should they wish to) of any new roles filled by 16-24 year olds;
• Traineeships - Businesses in England will be given £1,000 for each new traineeship they offer; and
• Payments for employers who hire new apprentices – Government will introduce a new payment of £2,000 to employers in England for each new apprentice they hire aged under 25, and a £1,500 payment for each new apprentice they hire aged 25+, from 1 Aug 20 to 31 Jan 21. These payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 payment Government already provides for new 16-18 year-old apprentices.