A QUARTER of eligible jobs in Oxford have been covered by the Government furlough scheme, new figures show.

Data from HM Revenue and Customs reveals approximately 19,900 claims to furlough jobs had been made in Oxford by the end of June. That was 3,900 more than at the end of May, and means 25 per cent of eligible jobs had been put on hold – one of the lowest rates in the UK.

Under the job retention scheme, launched by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March amid the coronavirus lockdown, the Government pays 80 per cent of employees’ wages, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month per employee.

ALSO READ: Best and worst GP practices revealed - as voted by patients

Across the South East, 29 per cent of eligible jobs were furloughed by the end of June, while the rate was 31 per cent across the UK. The figures show this was at a cost to the treasury of £26.5bn.

The scheme will be scaled back in August and will close in October. A report from the Office for Budget Responsibility, the UK’s spending watchdog, predicts 1.3 million furloughed workers may lose their jobs once the scheme ends.

From May 13, eligible self-employed workers could claim a grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits for a three-month period, limited to £7,500.

Claims made by people in Oxford amounted to £12 million, or £3,100 per person on average, with 69 per cent of those thought to be eligible in the area having asked for support.