How many people are furloughed in South Holland? Government figures released

More than 8,000 people in the district are currently signed up to the government's furlough scheme, new figures reveal.

Statistics released by HM Revenue and Customs show there are 8,700 people in South Holland who are receiving 80 per cent of their full pay from the taxpayer while carrying out no work for their employer.

In South Kesteven, which includes Bourne and the Deepings, as well as Grantham and Stamford, the number on the scheme is 16,800.

The furlough scheme - officially known as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme - was introduced by chancellor Rishi Sunak in response to businesses having to close their doors or finding they had reduced opportunities to trade. In total, 6,445,800 workers are on the scheme.

It aims to help employers keep their employees by footing the bill for 80 per cent of their wages up to £2,500 a month.

The scheme will run until the end of October, but from the start of August, furloughed workers will be able to return to work part-time with employers being asked to pay a percentage towards the salaries of their furloughed staff.

The government also rolled out in May the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which has supported more than 75,000 self-employed people across the country.