Timescales For Submitting Furlough Claims Under The Extended Scheme

The Government has updated it guidance for employers making claims via the extended furlough scheme/CJRS, setting out new deadline timescales.

As a result of the revised guidance, claims will now need to be submitted within 14 days of the previous calendar month, as follows:

A Government Gateway user ID and password (which employers receive when they register for PAYE online) will be required making entering a claim. Claims cannot be submitted more than 14 days before than the period end dates outlined above.

Exceptions to the timescales when submitting furlough claims

A claim will only be allowed to be made after the above dates if there is a “reasonable excuse for failing to make a claim in time”. The Government has stated that the following examples “may” be considered a reasonable excuse for not meeting a deadline:

• Your partner or another close relative died shortly before the claim deadline
• You had an unexpected stay in hospital that prevented you from dealing with your claim
• You had a serious or life-threatening illness, including Coronavirus related illnesses, which prevented you from making your claim (and no one else could claim for you)
• A period of self-isolation prevented you from making your claim (and no one else could make the claim for you)
• Your computer or software failed just before or while you were preparing your online claim
• Service issues with HMRC online services prevented you from making your claim
• A fire, flood or theft prevented you them from making your claim
• Postal delays that you could not have predicted prevented you from making your claim
• Delays related to a disability you have prevented you from making your claim
• A HMRC error prevented you from making your claim

HMRC will not consider reasonable excuses prior to a claim deadline.