Not able to work due to childcare - Can I get furloughed?

robbiez

There is plenty of information on the government website that backs up the answers provided by myself and gary83.
Such as "If you and your employer both agree, your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for you to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). "
If your employer is able to operate and they have work to do, their employees will not be eligible for the scheme.
Watching Martin Lewis yesterday would make you think you can be furloughed if you need to look after children. Unfortunately, according to the government, this simply is not the case.

mattyprice4004

Another point about the furlough scheme is that it's up to the company if they use it, and if they want to put you on it - that's their call, not yours. 
If they say no, there's no recourse. It's entirely optional. 

littlegreenview

I agree that on the gov website the evidence does point your way. However Martin Lewis said that policy's are changing all the time and I didnt know if the gov website was out of date due to him only talking about it last night on his show. I came to this forum for current advice if anyone has it. 
I'm not looking for a free ride, I'm trying to figure out if there is a way for me to get support. I am having to stay at home because of schools being closed and am unable to work from home due to my employer saying it's not avaliable. So I'm currently employed but not being paid, for reasons beyond my control.

neilmcl

robbiez said:

littlegreenview said:

gary83 said:

you’d be entitled to furlough if due to a lack of work your company would otherwise make you redundant, childcare issues are irrelevant to the entitlement.

Not according to the TV programme last night. 

Martin is currently providing the wrong information, and shouldn't be.
An employer can only furlough an employee if the business is suffering financially due to covid-19.
If the business is not suffering and doesn't want to make staff redundant, they cannot just use the job retention scheme so you can look after your children. You would need to use your holiday entitlement or unpaid leave.

No, I'm afraid you are the one providing the wrong information. The Coronavirus job retention scheme is open to all employers who wish to furlough staff during these times. The priority for the government is get as many people to stay at home as possible and are acutely aware that this puts great pressures on employers.

calcotti

littlegreenview said:

... I didnt know if the gov website was out of date due to him only talking about it last night on his show. 

The government only published it yesterday.

gary83

littlegreenview said:

I agree that on the gov website the evidence does point your way. However Martin Lewis said that policy's are changing all the time and I didnt know if the gov website was out of date due to him only talking about it last night on his show. I came to this forum for current advice if anyone has it. 
I'm not looking for a free ride, I'm trying to figure out if there is a way for me to get support. I am having to stay at home because of schools being closed and am unable to work from home due to my employer saying it's not avaliable. So I'm currently employed but not being paid, for reasons beyond my control.

I think I might have been misconstrued by another poster on your thread, I wasn’t waging a campaign against you,Or anyone else, it’s a pretty crappy situation to be in. Especially as this furlough process, which was pretty inconceivable as little as a month ago is a great help to those that get it, but unfortunately some people are missing out, purely because of the line of work their employers are in.

if I was you I’d keep focus on getting your laptop working so that you can work from home - although that would probably present its own challenges with a 1 year old and a 4 year old about the house as well.

robbiez

neilmcl said:

robbiez said:

littlegreenview said:

gary83 said:

you’d be entitled to furlough if due to a lack of work your company would otherwise make you redundant, childcare issues are irrelevant to the entitlement.

Not according to the TV programme last night. 

Martin is currently providing the wrong information, and shouldn't be.
An employer can only furlough an employee if the business is suffering financially due to covid-19.
If the business is not suffering and doesn't want to make staff redundant, they cannot just use the job retention scheme so you can look after your children. You would need to use your holiday entitlement or unpaid leave.

No, I'm afraid you are the one providing the wrong information. The Coronavirus job retention scheme is open to all employers who wish to furlough staff during these times. The priority for the government is get as many people to stay at home as possible and are acutely aware that this puts great pressures on employers.

How do you come to that conclusion?
The job retention scheme is available for all employers to consider, but that doesn't mean they will be eligible and doesn't mean any employee can be furloughed.
The information I have provided is backed by the Government and available on their website:
"If you and your employer both agree, your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for you to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). "
"The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers for at least three months starting from 1 March 2020. It is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)."

If a business is able to operate, has plenty of work and has not been severely affected by coronvirus, it is not eligible for the job retention scheme. That is based on the current information from the government. I am not saying it is right or wrong, and it may change, but I am saying that information is currently correct.

gary83

neilmcl said:

robbiez said:

littlegreenview said:

gary83 said:

you’d be entitled to furlough if due to a lack of work your company would otherwise make you redundant, childcare issues are irrelevant to the entitlement.

Not according to the TV programme last night. 

Martin is currently providing the wrong information, and shouldn't be.
An employer can only furlough an employee if the business is suffering financially due to covid-19.
If the business is not suffering and doesn't want to make staff redundant, they cannot just use the job retention scheme so you can look after your children. You would need to use your holiday entitlement or unpaid leave.

No, I'm afraid you are the one providing the wrong information. The Coronavirus job retention scheme is open to all employers who wish to furlough staff during these times. The priority for the government is get as many people to stay at home as possible and are acutely aware that this puts great pressures on employers.

The government’s website is the primary source of information on the government’s unprecedented schemes. I’d trust that over anybody I saw discussing it on tv, unless that person was the chancellor announcing amendments.

literally the first paragraph on the guidance explaining the scheme defines it this way:

“If you and your employer both agree, your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for you to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This is known as being ‘on furlough’.”

that’s fairly Chrystal clear, it’s there in black and white, unfortunately for the OP the reasons why you can be considered for furlough is purely down to your employer not being able to provide work, as explained right at the start of this thread. It currently does not include if your unable to operate due to childcare issues or any other reason.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

neilmcl

gary83 said:

neilmcl said:

robbiez said:

littlegreenview said:

gary83 said:

you’d be entitled to furlough if due to a lack of work your company would otherwise make you redundant, childcare issues are irrelevant to the entitlement.

Not according to the TV programme last night. 

Martin is currently providing the wrong information, and shouldn't be.
An employer can only furlough an employee if the business is suffering financially due to covid-19.
If the business is not suffering and doesn't want to make staff redundant, they cannot just use the job retention scheme so you can look after your children. You would need to use your holiday entitlement or unpaid leave.

No, I'm afraid you are the one providing the wrong information. The Coronavirus job retention scheme is open to all employers who wish to furlough staff during these times. The priority for the government is get as many people to stay at home as possible and are acutely aware that this puts great pressures on employers.

The government’s website is the primary source of information on the government’s unprecedented schemes. I’d trust that over anybody I saw discussing it on tv, unless that person was the chancellor announcing amendments.

literally the first paragraph on the guidance explaining the scheme defines it this way:

“If you and your employer both agree, your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for you to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This is known as being ‘on furlough’.”

that’s fairly Chrystal clear, it’s there in black and white, unfortunately for the OP the reasons why you can be considered for furlough is purely down to your employer not being able to provide work, as explained right at the start of this thread. It currently does not include if your unable to operate due to childcare issues or any other reason.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Try reading it further - "Any UK employer with a UK bank account will be able to claim". Nowhere does it state that only employers who are at risk or are intending making an employee redundant are eligible. Also, for the record all employers are being impacted by the coronavirus in some way or another.

neilmcl

robbiez said:

neilmcl said:

robbiez said:

littlegreenview said:

gary83 said:

you’d be entitled to furlough if due to a lack of work your company would otherwise make you redundant, childcare issues are irrelevant to the entitlement.

Not according to the TV programme last night. 

Martin is currently providing the wrong information, and shouldn't be.
An employer can only furlough an employee if the business is suffering financially due to covid-19.
If the business is not suffering and doesn't want to make staff redundant, they cannot just use the job retention scheme so you can look after your children. You would need to use your holiday entitlement or unpaid leave.

No, I'm afraid you are the one providing the wrong information. The Coronavirus job retention scheme is open to all employers who wish to furlough staff during these times. The priority for the government is get as many people to stay at home as possible and are acutely aware that this puts great pressures on employers.

How do you come to that conclusion?
The job retention scheme is available for all employers to consider, but that doesn't mean they will be eligible and doesn't mean any employee can be furloughed.
The information I have provided is backed by the Government and available on their website:
"If you and your employer both agree, your employer might be able to keep you on the payroll if they’re unable to operate or have no work for you to do because of coronavirus (COVID-19). "
"The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is a temporary scheme open to all UK employers for at least three months starting from 1 March 2020. It is designed to support employers whose operations have been severely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19)."

If a business is able to operate, has plenty of work and has not been severely affected by coronvirus, it is not eligible for the job retention scheme. That is based on the current information from the government. I am not saying it is right or wrong, and it may change, but I am saying that information is currently correct.

Please show me exactly where this is stated in black and white? 

Again I refer you to the quote ""Any UK employer with a UK bank account will be able to claim"
and
"Any UK organisation with employees can apply"