What are the furlough changes from July 1?
Get the latest Yorkshire breaking news and updates delivered straight to your inbox - sign up for free email updates Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice  Since the pandemic began last year, many workers have been reliant on the furlough scheme to pay their wages. Retail workers, hospitality staff and airline operators have been particularly affected by the virus, as businesses have struggled to function through lockdowns. As hospital admissions continue to fall, however, life seems to be getting back to normal. From today (July 1), employers will have to contribute to the cost of the furlough scheme. Staff on furlough will continue to receive 80% of their wages, but 10% will be contributed by the company they work for. Around 1.5 million workers are still thought to be a part of the scheme, and experts are worried that the policy change might lead to layoffs. From August 1, the amount contributed by the government will drop to 60%. The furlough scheme will end on September 30, according to current plans. The government have said that it hopes most employees will be able to return to work after freedom day on July 19. As coronavirus restrictions will largely be at an end by then, most businesses should reopen. Furlough - or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - has formed part of the governments economic response to the pandemic. Around 66bn has been spent in order to support 11.2 million jobs since March of last year. In March 2021, it was thought that around a third of employers still had staff on furlough. The easing of restrictions since that point has got the number down to around 1 in 20. Its largely industry-specific, however. Some sectors, like travel and nightlife, have a larger proportion of workers still reliant on the scheme. Sign up for our newsletter so you never miss a story.