Co-op to repay furlough money, keep business rates relief

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Co-op, the supermarket and funerals group, said it would return to government 15.5 million pounds ($21.3 million) of furlough payments it claimed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic but would retain its business rates relief.

The Co-op said on Thursday it took the government support in good faith, not expecting to have to pay the money back and made forward-looking business decisions on that basis.

Most UK supermarket groups have, however, repaid business rates relief.

($1 = 0.7277 pounds)

(Reporting by James Davey; editing by Sarah Young)