Old Employer wont furlough

bobgroups

Ended a job before 28th Feb deadline. Employer said job was not terminated due to Corona Virus Pandemic so hence not able to furlough. To qualify for furlough does termination of employment reason at the time have to be directly because of Corona Virus. 
I saw this: 

"If you were made redundant or stopped working for your employer after 28 February 2020

 Your employer can agree to re-employ you and place you on furlough. This applies if you were made redundant or stopped working for them after 28 February, even if they do not re-employ you until after 19 March. They’ll still be able to claim a grant to cover 80% of your regular wages, up to a monthly cap of £2,500. This applies as long as you were on their payrohe ll as at 28 February and had been notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 28 February 2020. This means an RTI submission notifying payment in respect of you to HMRC must have been made on or before 28 February 2020."

at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme  
Does the reason for employer terminating employment have to be directly that at the time the employer had to lay a person off due to Corona Virus? I thought that if you started a new job and it did not work out and now cant get work furlough can be claimed.
Not able to make much sense of eligibility. Appreciate some help. 
Thanks

Illusionary

The scheme is aimed as those out of work due to coronavirus, including where a new role has fallen through - but I think that your difficulty here is going to be that you stopped working for your former employer before 28 February, so you're outside of the situation to which that extract from the guidance applies.

Ultimately, even if you're within that situation, your employer is under no-obligation to re-employ you. Even where they can apply for the Job Retention Scheme, there's both a cash flow impact and a residual monetary cost to employers (among other issues), so many are unwilling to do so.

bobgroups

Just to confirm - might not have not clarified but I stopped working on the 28th Feb. I now see what you mean by the residual monetary cost to employers of rehiring someone. I cant find re-employment as once i started looking, responses to jobs i applied for slowed down with the onset of Covid-19, so thought financially I could get help from the scheme. I've not applied for any benefits yet but looks like i may need to if I cant secure employment. Thanks 

sharpe106

I would suggest looking at benefits too, but do it now as there be a backlog. Even if you find employment you can cancel them

Mrsn

Benefits currently are going to be your best option. Have a look at one of the benefit entitlement calculators such as entitled to or turn2us which will give you an idea of any help you might receive.

bobgroups

Just for some peace of mind I wanted to clarify the point to old employer that the gov guideline I did not need to be fired because the company was facing covid 19 issues and had to get rid of me. Their point was that the ending of employment was nothing to do with Covid. 
Just for my own understanding am i right if i just let them know that the guideline allowed for people who changed job, and as long as they were on payroll on 28 feb and subsequently lost their job could be re-hired and furloughed. Could anyone let me know if at least my understanding is correct? 
Wanted to write a gentle toned email just clarifying that and asking if they ever do furlough other folks, could they add me as i do fall within the guideline. 

Illusionary

bobgroups said:

Just for some peace of mind I wanted to clarify the point to old employer that the gov guideline I did not need to be fired because the company was facing covid 19 issues and had to get rid of me. Their point was that the ending of employment was nothing to do with Covid. 
Just for my own understanding am i right if i just let them know that the guideline allowed for people who changed job, and as long as they were on payroll on 28 feb and subsequently lost their job could be re-hired and furloughed. Could anyone let me know if at least my understanding is correct? 
Wanted to write a gentle toned email just clarifying that and asking if they ever do furlough other folks, could they add me as i do fall within the guideline. 

That's correct, except that the guidance refers to leaving employment "after", not "on or after", 28 February. 

unholyangel

bobgroups said:

Just for some peace of mind I wanted to clarify the point to old employer that the gov guideline I did not need to be fired because the company was facing covid 19 issues and had to get rid of me. Their point was that the ending of employment was nothing to do with Covid. 
Just for my own understanding am i right if i just let them know that the guideline allowed for people who changed job, and as long as they were on payroll on 28 feb and subsequently lost their job could be re-hired and furloughed. Could anyone let me know if at least my understanding is correct? 
Wanted to write a gentle toned email just clarifying that and asking if they ever do furlough other folks, could they add me as i do fall within the guideline. 

I would say the scheme is quite clearly not aimed at people in your circumstance. 

The directions from the treasury state an employee isn't eligible if a leaving date has been sent for the employee. It also states the purpose of the scheme is to help employers meet costs of employees they've had to furlough due to the impact of covid. That no claim may be made if its abusive or contrary to the exceptional purpose of CJRS. 

And your employer has to agree to a disclaimer making them aware of that, along with agreeing to repay any monies paid to them in error. 

Illusionary

Following up on my post above, the guidance has been updated again and *does* now say "on or after"

bobgroups

Thanks for clarifying.Does it defintely mean I was not eligible. I certainly was not trying to sneak an application in if i was not eligible. I simply read the Martin Lewis emails where employees can ask old employer to hire them back and be furloughed. If it was the case that was only if they were laid off due to Covid then i fully understand. I happened to get laid off on 28th Feb and still out of work as my line of work is hard to get jobs since Covid and the lockdown. 

Just for my own peace of mind I wanted to check my case was legitimate. (Although i know my old employer wont furlough me as they are not furloughing anyone. Hence just only asking if was within or outside the CJRS based on my perception that you could ask old employer to put you back on payroll). That way if old employer does decide to furlough other people i have some ground to ask if they could add me to the list.....
Cheers

Undervalued

bobgroups said:

Thanks for clarifying.Does it defintely mean I was not eligible. I certainly was not trying to sneak an application in if i was not eligible. I simply read the Martin Lewis emails where employees can ask old employer to hire them back and be furloughed. If it was the case that was only if they were laid off due to Covid then i fully understand. I happened to get laid off on 28th Feb and still out of work as my line of work is hard to get jobs since Covid and the lockdown. 

Just for my own peace of mind I wanted to check my case was legitimate. (Although i know my old employer wont furlough me as they are not furloughing anyone. Hence just only asking if was within or outside the CJRS based on my perception that you could ask old employer to put you back on payroll). That way if old employer does decide to furlough other people i have some ground to ask if they could add me to the list.....
Cheers

Well you can ask what you like, with or without "grounds" but they don't have to agree. It is entirely their decision (assuming you are even eligible).