More than 285,000 businesses have already applied for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) since it went live on Monday.
To be sure payment comes through to you before the end of the month, you will need to apply today (22nd April 2020).
Accessing the system
Some people have experienced difficulty accessing the system because they do not have an active PAYE enrolment. In order to make claim you need to:
- have a Government Gateway (GG) ID and password – if you don’t have a GG account you can apply here
- be enrolled for PAYE online – if you aren’t registered yet, you can do so here
CJRS calculator
HMRC are updating the online calculator tool this afternoon, so that it covers more employment circumstances. The update will allow you to work out what you can claim for most employees who are paid variable amounts each pay period, as well as those who are paid fixed amounts.
If you have already claimed
Retain all records and calculations for your claims in case HMRC need to contact you about them. Providing your claim is made in accordance with HMRC’s published guidance, you can expect to receive the funds six working days after your application.
HMRC will check claims made through the scheme and will act to protect public money against anyone who makes a claim using dishonest or fraudulent information.
Fraudulent activity
HMRC has issued warnings to be careful of potential scammers relating to the CJRS, ensure any communication from HMRC is actually from HMRC (check senders email address), should communication still seem questionable contact HMRC.