UK to unveil changes to furloughing scheme

[LONDON] Britain will on Tuesday announce changes to programme that is paying the wages of more than 6 million workers at businesses affected by the coronavirus, its health minister said.

Britain's finance minister, Rishi Sunak, will make a statement on the government's economic package at 11.30am GMT. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that Mr Sunak would speak about the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which pays employers 80 per cent of the wages of staff who are on temporary leave.

"Obviously it can't last for ever and we are going to have to make changes. He's going to announce the details of that," Health Secretary Matt Hancock told LBC radio.

When asked if Mr Sunak would cut the payments to 60 per cent of earnings, Mr Hancock said: "I'm not going to steal the words from Rishi's mouth."

REUTERS