Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department plans to conduct a retrospective review of claims under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; and whether he plans to take steps to prevent companies that claimed under that scheme in good faith being retrospectively penalised.

HMRC will subject CJRS claims to scrutiny and use their usual compliance tools to carry out proportionate risk-based compliance checks before and after payment to test the veracity of CJRS claims. In doing so, HMRC will protect essential public services and the livelihoods at risk during these challenging times.

It is vital the Government supports businesses to recover by ensuring a level playing field so the compliant majority cannot be undercut by a minority who are trying to cheat the system.

HMRC know that some people will have made honest mistakes and are taking a proportionate approach to recovering overclaimed grants. HMRC also know that many businesses claimed while under considerable pressure and may not have fully appreciated what work was, and was not, allowed.

No-one who has tried to do the right thing but made an honest mistake has any need to be concerned, as long as they work with HMRC to put it right. HMRC can correct a mistake without a penalty within 90 days of receiving the grant or their circumstances changing.

The Government is also taking tough action to tackle fraudulent behaviour. Anyone who keeps furlough money despite knowing they were not entitled to it faces having repay up to double the amount they received, plus interest and potentially criminal prosecution.