The UK government’s furlough scheme will be extended until September, Chancellor Rishi Sunak will announce in the House of Commons, as he sets out the 2021 Budget.

The scheme, also referred to as furlough, pays 80% of employees’ wages for the hours they cannot work in the pandemic. Launched on 20 April last year, it has supported 11.2 million jobs as of 15 February 2021.