JobKeeper 2.0

On Tuesday 21 July the Federal Government announced an extension to the JobKeeper program to 28 March 2021. The current JobKeeper program is unaffected until its conclusion on 27 September 2020.

The extended program is targeted at businesses still impacted by Covid-19 and will require businesses to retest their eligibility for the extended program.

For a business to be eligible for the period 29 September 2020 to 3 January 2021 it will have to demonstrate the relevant (30% in most cases) fall in actual turnover in both the June and September quarters.

For a business to be eligible for the period 4 January to 28 March 2021 it will have to demonstrate the relevant (30% in most cases) fall in actual turnover in the June, September and December quarters.

As well as retesting eligibility the JobKeeper payment rate will be changed. It will be paid at two rates as follows:

  • From 28 September 2020 to 3 January 2021, the payment rate will be $1,200 per fortnight for all eligible employees who, in the four weeks before 1 March 2020, were working in the business or not-for-profit for 20 hours or more a week on average and for business participants who were actively engaged in the business for more than 20 hours per week, and $750 per fortnight for employees who were working in the business or not-for-profit for less than 20 hours a week on average and business participants who were actively engaged in the business less than 20 hours per week in the same period.
  • From 4 January 2021 to 28 March 2021, the payment rate will be $1,000 per fortnight for all eligible employees who in the four weeks before 1 March 2020, were working for 20 hours or more a week on average and for business participants who were actively engaged in the business for more than 20 hours per week, and $650 per fortnight for employees who were working for less than 20 hours a week on average and business participants who were actively engaged in the business for less than 20 hours per week in the same period.