The chancellor has defended his decision to replace the government's furlough scheme with a plan that will subsidise the wages of people in work. Workers will need to work at least a third of their normal hours to qualify for the new Job Support Scheme.
Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Sunak said the change was necessary to manage the long-term economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
'We can't continue to provide the same degree of support that we did at the beginning of this crisis,' he told reporters. 'It's not sustainable for a prolonged period of time.'
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