Below is a summary of the key updates relating to Coronavirus over the past week. You can also read our guide on how to get help if you've been impacted financially by coronavirus, or chat to an adviser through our webchat from 8:30am-6pm Mon-Thurs, 8:30am-3:30pm Fri. 

Job Retention Scheme 

The UK government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will remain open until the end of October, it was announced this week. Furloughed staff will continue to receive 80% of their salary up to £2,500.

However, from August, some furloughed employees will be able to return to work on a part time basis with employers to pay a percentage of the salaries of their furloughed staff. These employer payments are to subsidise the contribution the government is currently making and to ensure that staff continue to receive 80% of their salary while furloughed. It has not yet been announced how much of the 80% employers will have to pay.

For more information, see the GOV.UK website. 

Council tax payment breaks 

For those struggling to make council tax payments at this time, many councils are offering council tax payment breaks. Each council has its own policy on this, and payment breaks can only happen once agreed with the council, so anyone looking to use a payment break should speak to their council as soon as possible.

For those whose income has been affected by coronavirus and are now receiving benefits, they may be entitled to a reduction in council tax. Citizens Advice Scotland has an online council tax calculator that anyone can use to find out if they could be paying less due to a change in circumstances. 

Creditor email addresses

To save advice organisations some time when contacting creditors on behalf of their clients, MALG has put together a list of creditor email addresses that is being regularly updated, available on the MALG website.