Furlough merry-go-round

Ourboy11

Ive been working for the same umbrella company for over a year and have been fighting with them for weeks now over my furlough status and they keep fobbing me off till next week. 

I defiantly meet all the requirements to be furloughed and they say that the have sent my details off to contracts (i dont know if this means HMRC or their own department) and need to hear word back from them, i haven't received any money whatsoever from March and im banking on getting this payment and it being backdated.

Have I any rights if  the umbrella agency doesn't give me the furlough money and just keep fobbing me off? As im worried the time will come where i won't be eligible, and I have a feeling these company's really don't care as they arent making any money for admin fees off us through the scheme. 

gary83

you have absolutely no rights to furlough, it’s entirely optional. if the umbrella agency don’t want to furlough you for whatever reason (many other agency’s on here haven’t, could be cash flow, admin burden, fear of getting it wrong and not been able to reclaim the cash, worried about holiday entitlement accruing) then they don’t have to.

your only other option is looking at what benefits you’ll be entitled to.

daKlone

Sorry Ourboy, I think you are unlikely to get any money from an umbrella company.

My advice would be to start planning on the assumption it's not coming and take it as a bonus if it does.

Ourboy11

Why would they be telling their staff that its in the pipeline then? 

gary83

Just to push the problem down the road, if they were going to pay why would they have fobbed you off for weeks? Nobody is trying to be negative, if I was you I’d search for agency on here and read the probably hundreds of threads from people in a similar situation. You might be one of the lucky ones that get it, but I’d certainly stop banking on that money at this point.

poppy12345

This is one of many posts asking the same question about an umbrella company. I think they are fobbing you off and you most likely won't be furloughed, if other people are anything to go by.

Providing you don't have savings/capital of £16,000 then look at claiming Universal Credit. A claim for this will end any tax credits you may already be claiming. Use a benefits calculator.

Ourboy11

Why would they say that just to push the problem down the road though what benefit is that to anyone?

I cant get universal credit as my wife earns too much money. 

poppy12345

I hope you are one of the lucky ones, i was just warning you as to what may happen.

Ourboy11

Yeah i know mate thanks for your replies anyway. 

Just so annoying that they cant say no and have been giving us positive feedback i just don't see why that would be any benefit
If i had of got a solid no i could been working at a supermarket or somwhere for weeks. 

daKlone

I know it might not be a popular view, but perhaps they genuinely ARE considering it and ARE waiting for the legal department to get back to them?

Ourboy11

More than likely not as can't see them waiving their admin fee and paying holidays out of their own pocket.

If they could just be open and say no we're not going to do that it would be case closed.