Furlough eligibility - former local authority employee

matt2504

Hi,

I was wondering if someone could please help me in seeing if I am eligible for furlough payments?

I worked in the public sector (Local Authority) and handed in my notice at the end of February and formally left mid March so I could relocate to York.

 I had no new employment lined up once I had relocated as I was planning on temping to experience different industries and see which direction I wanted to go in. 

Under the guidelines from the government an employee who has left employment but was on payroll as of the 28th of Feb is eligible to be re-employed and furloughed. Is this applicable to public sector employees who have left employment? 

I emailed my former employer who said that he believes I am not eligible as the guidance states that the government are not expecting many public sector organisations to make furlough claims as they should be continuing to provide essential services to members of the public during this time. 

My former employer did say that if I am able to provide evidence stating my eligibility then he would happily furlough me; so the question is... am I eligible?

Thank you in advance for any help and guidance you can give me

Thanks

Matt

Mrsn

I wouldn’t have thought so in my opinion, it is clear as your ex employer has explained that the intention was that government departments would not use furlough as the work would still be there, despite the many many changes to the guidance this is the main bulk of the criteria that applies.

Have you looked into applying for universal credit?

sharpe106

The policy still states

 

Public sector organisations

The government expects that the scheme will not be used by many public sector organisations, as most public sector employees are continuing to provide essential public services or contribute to the response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Where employers receive public funding for staff costs, and that funding is continuing, we expect employers to use that money to continue to pay staff in the usual fashion – and correspondingly not furlough them. This also applies to non-public sector employers who receive public funding for staff costs.

Organisations who are receiving public funding specifically to provide services necessary to respond to COVID-19 are not expected to furlough staff.

In a small number of cases, for example where organisations are not primarily funded by the government and whose staff cannot be redeployed to assist with the coronavirus response, the scheme may be appropriate for some staff.

I don’t think rehiring someone just for furloughing would be classed as one of the small number of cases. But again makes it unfair on public sector workers, they have said that private companies can re-employ people just for furlough.