Agency not furloughing - advice needed

Wusskat

I’m an agency worker and signed a contract with my agency on 2nd March, starting a 6 month office-based job with a utilities company on 14th March. On 23rd March I was sent home in line with lockdown.
My agency have not furloughed me even though the utilities company have told me they want me back to work for them when things ‘normalise’ - they have invested in my training and will have a huge backlog of work once we are out of lockdown.  After several attempts to contact my agency they have emailed stating they are looking for other roles for me but as there are none available at the moment they will check in periodically to see if I’m still available for work and whether I’m Covid-19 free. They have totally avoided answering any of my furloughing questions.
I’m struggling here, not qualifying for Universal Credit as I was made redundant back in January and received statutory redundancy payment after 4 years with a company.
I’ve put my mortgage on a 3 month break but really don’t know what to do next. 
Any ideas? Thanks

poppy12345

 Employers can claim for furloughed employees that were employed and on their PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020. This means that the employee must have been notified to HMRC through an RTI submission notifying payment in respect of that employee on or before 19 March 2020.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/furlough-scheme-cut-off-date-extended-to-19-march

Based on your dates then you most likely don't qualify for furlough anyway.

It it your savings that are stopping you claiming UC? If so then try New style JSA providing you've paid enough NI contributions in tax years April 2017 to March 2019.

sharpe106

The agency will probably keep on avoiding answering the furlough question. They basically do not want to as it will cost them, they have to pay out and claim it back and you still get your holiday entitlement whilst furloughed. They have nobody to pass that cost onto.

SXX

I believe the holiday issue re agency workers guidance will be published in the next week or so.  From Assoc of Professional Staffing Companies :    

Clarification on holiday pay expected within the week
We have been pressing Government for some weeks to clarify the position of whether agency workers accrue holiday when not working and to address the issue of the fact that recruiters are not billing clients for workers on furlough and so do not receive fees to fund the workers’ holiday pay if due. We have been told that guidance will be available by the end of this week or early next and that it will be comprehensive – we await the guidance with interest.