STARTED NEW JOB IN MARCH AND THEN LET GO. NEED SOME ADVICE PLEASE ON FURLOUGH

flyer19

I was in my previous job for ten years. I got a new job and signed a contract mid February to start on 16th March. Left my previous job on 15th March and started new job on 16th. The following day (after one days work!) they gave me a letter and said they could not keep me on because of the corona virus. I am now left with no income or any redundancy pay. After seeing Martin and Judge Rinder today on tv I emailed my employer and asked if they could place me back on payroll and furlough me. They have replied and said no because I was not on their payroll on the 28th February. I understand that but surely there is something I can do and they have some responsibility when I signed a contract for the job in mid February. I would appreciate some advice. Thank you. 

sharpe106

But they were not paying you in February so they could not put you on the payroll. So there is nothing you can do about furloughing. 

poppy12345

Universal Credit maybe an option if you don't have savings/capital of more than £16,000. If you live with a partner you'll need to claim as a couple. Use a benefits calculator https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

Otherwise, it's New style JSA which is £73.10 per week and payable for 6 months. This is based on your NI Contributions in the tax years April 2017 to March 2019.

Mcdanger1977

I’m in a similar position,I gave a weeks notice on the 6th March;and started my new job on the 16th March,to be told this morning my boss can’t apply for furlough cos I wasnt on his payroll from 28th Feb;surely there must be something that can be done,after all it was put in place to stop people losing there jobs.

mattyprice4004

No, there's nothing that can be done - otherwise it'd open up the floodgates for all kinds of fraud.
Unfortunately it's pretty black and white; if you're not on the books on the 28th Feb, you can't be furloughed. 
In addition, your previous employer has no liability to you. 

[Deleted User]

As you signed the contract before the 28th Feb you SHOULD be eligible, that’s my understanding of it, could be wrong.

Hermann

Technically had to on a PAYE payroll on 28 Feb, that could change but seems unlikely as it's an anti fraud measure.

trixie73

My son is in exactly the same position, last day of his old job 28th Feb, first day of his new job 2nd march. Now I understand the government are trying to prevent fraud, but surely if they are going to have a cut off date it should be, at the earliest , the day this scheme was announced. This is putting thousands of people into hardship, just because they changed jobs at the wrong time. 

7Phil

All these things are starting to iron out -- it's quite possible that you might have been put on their books in time (for your first pay to be processed in March) and that might be just enough to make you eligible for your employer to claim.
If not then it looks like you aren't eligible under the scheme. Your employer could still pay you during this time but they will not be able to claim back from HMRC to support them if they do.
My next point is if you had already been made redundant by your new employer. If so, you will need to go back to your employer and ask if they will be willing to check your situation and furlough you instead. You are at their mercy somewhat. You can't claim anything yourself and it won't be done automatically.

Final chance is that you might be able to go back to your old employer and get furloughed. At this stage the official advice is that you can be furloughed after you are re-hired if you were made redundant in March. I've seen non-official people stating that could still cover people that had left their employer for other reasons but I haven't seen that in advice on official rules - but that does not mean it is not forthcoming. The guidelines are still being fleshed out.
Even if that's the case, going back to an employer you intended to leave is going to take some courage. Then, what it means for you after the scheme ends is hard to say. However, I would be trying to get everything I could at this time.

7Phil

trixie73 said:

My son is in exactly the same position, last day of his old job 28th Feb, first day of his new job 2nd march. Now I understand the government are trying to prevent fraud, but surely if they are going to have a cut off date it should be, at the earliest , the day this scheme was announced. This is putting thousands of people into hardship, just because they changed jobs at the wrong time. 

The risk of changing jobs is underrated and so many people are not made aware of the effect of breaking their protections under employment law.
However, I totally get no one would expect this event in a million years. The timing of it is like a reverse lottery gone horribly wrong.
Nonetheless, there are hundred of non-pandemic related reasons to end up in the same position and anything could have happened to the business over that weekend that affects a new job.

Keep watching the news and the rules for more options that are coming out but in the meantime I'd get the ball rolling on the UC path, which has recently been boosted a little bit

trixie73

Phil, yes I get that anything could happen when changing jobs, and it is a risk. But now the job market has fallen through the floor and there's not nowhere near as many new jobs to apply for, it makes it a lot harder than in 'normal circumstances'. He's been around all the supermarkets today handing out his cv, most of them took it but said they have already recruited all the staff they need.