The flaws in Rishi Sunak’s furlough scheme replacement

Since the new Job Support Scheme was unveiled by the chancellor this week a host of major problems with it have emerged. Ben Chu highlights the main issues

The chancellor conspicuously failed to commit to any extension of the enhanced benefit safety net (PA)

Before announcing his new package of employment support in parliament on Thursday, Rishi Sunak held a photo call on Downing Street flanked by the head of the TUC and the CBI, creating a powerful symbol of broad support for his scheme from unions and businesses leaders alike.

But in the hours after the parameters of the scheme were made public, it has become clear that satisfaction with the scheme is far from universal – and that it contains some large and worrying holes.

Here are the biggest flaws so far identified in the chancellor’s Job Support Scheme.