The programme is Britain’s most expensive COVID economic support measure, costing 46.4 billion pounds ($63 billion) up to mid-December, and is due to end on April 30. Read MoreFinance minister Rishi Sunak will set out future job support measures at his annual budget on March 3. Rising COVID cases last year repeatedly forced him to scrap plans to end the Job Retention Scheme. The jobless rate was below the 5.1 per cent poll forecast. Britain went into a new COVID lockdown on Jan. 5 due to a rapidly rising death toll that is now close to 100,000, the highest in Europe.

Source: Standard Digital January 26, 2021 08:47 UTC