Thousands of businesses at risk as Furlough scheme could be delayed

Thousands of businesses are at greater risk as  the UK government has indicated that the Furlough scheme could be delayed until the end of April.

It now looks as if the online portal, which employers will use to make claims, won’t be available until the end of the month, say tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.

Heather Self, a tax partner at the firm said, “The Government updated their guidance this afternoon and it looks as if the portal will not be ready by 20 April as promised.

“Employers are desperate to get the money into their bank accounts. It now looks as if there will be a further delay until at least the first week of May.”

She added, “HMRC are working hard to get things up and running, but cashflow is critical and employers need certainty.  Let’s hope the system is ready to go – and robust – next week and is not delayed further.

Nimesh Shah, a partner said, “Businesses desperately need certainty from the Government on the timings when the scheme will be active, as they are precariously managing their cashflow on a daily basis.  The 10-day delay will come as a blow for a number of businesses who were counting on the money to arrive sooner.

“A system like this is incredibly difficult to implement and launch and to do it within a matter of weeks was always going to be challenging for HMRC.  With the delayed launch, it’s hoped that system is accessible and is able to cope with the inevitably high demand.”