Shielding

robdunn85

Hi I'm in shielding and my employer won't furlough me even when I'm intitled to this wot can I do

gary83

not not a lot, is the answer you weren’t hoping for. An employer doesn’t have to furlough anyone.

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

unforeseen

I didn't think employees had any entitlement to furlough?

I believe that you can claim SSP for the 12 weeks

calcotti

unforeseen said:I believe that you can claim SSP for the 12 weeks

No you can’t. You are not treated as ill and therefore are not entitled to SSP.

If needed look at eligibility for Universal Credit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/.
There are online calculators to help you assess entitlement  https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

robdunn85

Employees can ask but according to dwp if in sheilding with nhs your entitled to be furlogh as I'm high risk and need to isolate rather then isolating my self they have over ruled this and have no choice even tho my sector I work in is key work

robbiez

There is no entitlement to be furloughed.
Where have you seen the DWP advising you are entitled to be furloughed?

simonhunter87

calcotti said:

unforeseen said:I believe that you can claim SSP for the 12 weeks

No you can’t. You are not treated as ill and therefore are not entitled to SSP.

If needed look at eligibility for Universal Credit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/.
There are online calculators to help you assess entitlement  https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

Where are you reading this? Govt advice has been people who are self isolating or shielding should be treated as sick and are entitled to ssp or company sick policy if they aren't furloughing

robdunn85

This can be found on there site 

robbiez

But that doesn't say you are entitled to it!
If your employer is eligible for the scheme and is planning to furlough employees because they do not have the work for them, they would be able to furlough employees. This may include employees who are shielding.
There is no automatic right to be furloughed for any reason as it is entirely upto the employer.

Hermann

robdunn85 said:

This can be found on there site 

I think the confusion here is the use of the word entitled. The scheme is entirely at the employers discretion, even shielding bit, no one is 100% entitled, just the scheme is available to the employer if they wish to use it.

calcotti

simonhunter87 said: Govt advice has been people who are self isolating or shielding should be treated as sick and are entitled to ssp or company sick policy if they aren't furloughing

Where do you think you have read that? I have only seen advice that says people who have symptoms of coronavirus or are self isolating are treated as sick. I have seen nothing to suggest that the vulnerable who are social distancing or the extremely vulnerable who are shielding/protecting themselves can be treated as ill. If the government had intended them to be eligible for SSP surely the year would have made provision for employers to be reimbursed the cost of SSP for 12 weeks not just 2. Moreover the guidance for the Job Retention Scheme says people entitled to SSP cannot be treated as furloughed and also says that’s people shielding can be furloughed. This suggests that people shielding are not entitled to SSP.

if you have a source for a different view I would be delighted. We are all just trying to pick our way through the copious amounts of information, not all of which is consistent and which contains many gaps.