Rishi Sunak admits £5billion to keep economy afloat won’t stop mass job losses and firms going bust

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RISHI Sunak unveiled £5billion of measures to keep the economy afloat over winter — but said it will fail to stop mass job losses and firms going bust.

The Chancellor announced the state will top up the wages of employees forced to go part-time for the next six months.

Rishi Sunak unveiled £5billion worth of new measures to keep the economy afloat over winter

However, the Chancellor admitted it won’t be enough to stop mass job losses and firms going bust

But the scheme is aimed only at protecting “viable jobs”, and leading economists warned of two million more losses from Covid by Christmas.

It was among a three-pronged ­Winter Economy Plan to help protect firms and workers from the tough restrictions announced this week.

The new Job Support Scheme aims to encourage firms to keep employees on part-time.

Those working at least a third of their normal hours will receive 77 per cent of their salary, capped at £697.92 per month.

The scheme, due to run for six months from November, will see the Government pay up to 22 per cent of wages, down from 80 per cent when the furlough policy began.

All small and medium-sized firms can apply, plus larger ones whose turnover has fallen during the crisis.

But it will protect only “viable jobs”, so those in industries currently closed — like nightclubs — may lose out.

The self-employed will also get a similar subsidy scheme with grants to cover 20 per cent of their income over the same six-month period.

Mr Sunak handed a lifeline to pubs and restaurants hit by the new 10pm curfew by extending the hospitality VAT cut to the end of March.

Experts warn that there there will be two million jobs fewer than at the beginning of 2020

In a rebuke to Chris Whitty, the Chancellor said ‘our lives can no longer be put on hold’

Mr Sunak extended the emergency Covid loans schemes for businesses

He also extended the emergency Covid loans schemes for businesses until the end of the year.

Other measures include allowing firms to spread VAT over 11 smaller payments with no interest. About 11 million self-assessment taxpayers can also defer their bill until 2022.

The total cost was estimated at £5billion — a drop in the ocean compared with the £210billion already spent on Covid bail-outs.

Mr Sunak said it was “impossible” to know how many jobs would be saved.

But he insisted it will “help protect as many as possible” by keeping people in part-time work.

He said another Covid wave “posed a threat to our fragile economic recovery”, admitting: “I cannot save every business, I cannot save every job.”

In a rebuke to England’s top medic Chris Whitty, the Chancellor said “our lives can no longer be put on hold”.

He declared: “We must learn to live with it, and live without fear and learn our new limits as we go.”

He said keeping pubs, shops and leisure facilities open was more than just economic support. The Chancellor explained: “We find meaning and hope through friends and family, through work, through community.”

‘TWO MILLION JOBS FEWER’

But he was criticised for failing to offer anything for the 700,000 people who have lost their jobs due to Covid.

Economists also warned the new scheme was not enough for struggling firms to keep staff on the payroll.

To qualify, employees must work at least one-third of their normal hours.

For hours not worked, the Government and employer will each pay a third of the remaining salary, so the employee gets 77 per cent of their normal pay.

But it means firms will pay 55 per cent of the salary of an employee working just a third of their normal hours.

Paul Johnson, boss of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, warned: “I suspect by the end of the year there will be two million jobs fewer than at the beginning of the year.”

He added: “The new job support scheme represents a significant new intervention from government to support jobs through the crisis. But it is significantly less generous than the furlough scheme it replaces.”

Tony Wilson, boss of the Institute for Employment, told HOAR: “It’s pretty disappointing. I really hope employers will sign up for this, but for many the numbers just won’t stack up.”

The British Beer and Pub Association warned it will fail to save thousands of pubs. Boss Emma McClarkin said Mr Sunak “missed a golden opportunity to extend the VAT cut to include alcohol”.

Boris Johnson, absent from the Commons announcement, praised the “creative and imaginative proposal”. Three-quarters of the public also back it, according to YouGov.

Mr Sunak cancelled his autumn Budget but again signalled tax hikes will be needed to pay for Covid.

 

 

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