So when will furlough be paid then?

mitchelljohn

Hi there,
I am currently furloughed at 80% of salary.
My next salary date is 30th April 20 but my employer has already stated that they can't pay any wages until they have been paid by HMRC
As HMRC haven't even set up their "furlough" portal, I expect this will be the same for May 31st. This is my only income and I have no savings.
so, I have 2 questions.
1. When do you think there will be a realistic chance of being paid?
2. Wouldn't it be better for me to go sick now and receive £96 per week?

lisyloo

Do you have credit cards you can use for essential spending e.g. food?
what other essential bills do you have?
have you asked you bank for support e.g. overdraft?
have you asked your landlord for support?
i would suggest making a list of your outgoings, working out what is essential and putting in order of priority then dealing with that way, for example rent may be number 1 and your landlord might agree to a delay.

Savvy_Sue

Are you sick? If not, then no, you should not 'go sick'.

I know there are arrangements for getting Covid 19 certificates, but I don't think the arrangements for getting a 'normal' Fit Note have changed, so you'd have to have have some kind of appointment with your GP in order to get one. 

mitchelljohn

I just hope people are aware that unless they belong to a larger company, they won't be getting paid late April or early May.
Ask your employers now what is happening before you get the same email I got. The government is making out it's all done and dusted and easy to sort. It isn't and people will be very angry once it's found out!

Stigy

mitchelljohn said:

Hi there,
I am currently furloughed at 80% of salary.
My next salary date is 30th April 20 but my employer has already stated that they can't pay any wages until they have been paid by HMRC
As HMRC haven't even set up their "furlough" portal, I expect this will be the same for May 31st. This is my only income and I have no savings.
so, I have 2 questions.
1. When do you think there will be a realistic chance of being paid?
2. Wouldn't it be better for me to go sick now and receive £96 per week?

Going sick would be counterproductive, surely? Assuming 80% of your salary equates to m ore than that amount, you'll be better off in the long run just sitting it out. If 80% of your salary is £96 or less per week, then I'd definitely be considering going sick. This is about putting food on the table after all. I'd also be looking for temporary work as a fallback. I know some employers are against this, but they don't have to find out, and to be honest, they're telling you you won't be paid until they've been paid, so frankly, in your shoes, I wouldn't be worrying about what my contract says in this respect.

BrassicWoman

your employer pays ssp anyway. no difference.

PacketofCrisps

I've had loads of people, including some on here state that while your furloughed your company should still be paying you, yet in this thread it seems that isn't the case? 

Savvy_Sue

your company SHOULD be paying you and reclaiming from the government. However, SHOULD and WILL are two different things. 

If a company has lost its income, was at the end of a lean period, and has no money in the bank, what are they going to pay you with? Yes, they SHOULD apply for a bank loan, but if the bank is not willing to lend, or it has not proved possible to finalise a loan by payday, what are they going to pay you with? 

PacketofCrisps

Savvy_Sue said:

your company SHOULD be paying you and reclaiming from the government. However, SHOULD and WILL are two different things. 

If a company has lost its income, was at the end of a lean period, and has no money in the bank, what are they going to pay you with? Yes, they SHOULD apply for a bank loan, but if the bank is not willing to lend, or it has not proved possible to finalise a loan by payday, what are they going to pay you with? 

I understand that, I've just been trying to ascertain whether an employer can refuse to pay you while you're furloughed and still qualify for the job retention scheme, it's a simple question that nobody seems to know the answers to, I've had business owners and accountants tell me that if your furloughed you should still be paid, and if you are not your employer won't be able to claim wages back because you haven't been paid any.

 

akira181

Like others have said, your employer should pay you but doesn't mean they necessarily can or even will.  When it takes public pressure to make a company as big as Weatherspoons pay their staff, it says it all really.  It's the first time in this situation and the government is woefully under-prepared with rushed plans full of mixed messages and gray areas.  Tough times ahead for a lot of people

PacketofCrisps

But that still doesn't answer the question,
Can an employer refuse to pay you while you're furloughed and still qualify for the job retention scheme? Yes or No?