Time Limits for Furlough Claims – Important

The government have now set new tight timescales for lodging a furlough claim with the HMRC.  Claims from 1 November 2020 must be submitted by 11.59pm, 14 calendar days after the month you’re claiming for (see below), unless there is a “reasonable excuse for failing to make a claim in time”. If this time falls on the weekend or a bank holiday, then claims should be submitted on the next working day.

These are the deadlines:

On the 19^th November 2020, the government amended its guidance to give examples of what ‘may’ amount to a reasonable excuse for employers missing the 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 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 in advance of a claim deadline.

If you want to delete a claim in the online service, you must do this within 72 hours of starting it.

If you need guidance or advice on this matter, please call Practical HR on 01702 216573 or email Fiona on fiona@practicalhr.co.uk