HMRC has recently clarified the action you need to take if you have claimed too little or too much under the furlough scheme (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme). They are published in a FAQ format. Here’s what they say:
What if I’ve claimed too much in error?
If you have claimed too much CJRS grant and have not already repaid it, you can repay as part of your next online claim without needing to call us. If you claimed too much but do not plan to submit further claims, you can let us know and make a repayment online through our card payment service or by bank transfer – go to 'Pay Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grants back' on GOV.UK.
You must notify us and repay the money by the latest of whichever date applies below:
- 90 days from receiving the CJRS money you’re not entitled to
- 90 days from the point circumstances changed so that you were no longer entitled to keep the CJRS grant.
If you do not do this, you may have to pay interest and a penalty as well as repaying the excess CJRS grant. For more information on interest search 'Interest rates for late and early payments' on GOV.UK.
What if I haven’t claimed enough?
If you made a mistake in your claim that means you received too little money, you’ll need to amend it within 28 calendar days after the month the claim relates to – unless this falls on a weekend or bank holiday, in which case the deadline is the next weekday. The deadline to amend claims for February is Monday 29 March.
To find out how to amend your claim, search 'Get help with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme'.