Sunak has said the extended support scheme will continue to cover up to 80% of employees’ wages up to £2,500 a month, with a review of the policy scheduled for January “to decide if economic circumstances have improved enough to ask employers to contribute more”.

The chancellor said the extension of the job retention scheme, which was previously set to expire at the end of November, will “protect millions of jobs” and “give people and businesses up and down our country immense comfort over what will be a difficult winter”.