Furlough pay

Laurasx

I've worked for my company for over a year. In September i changed my hours from 8 a week to 12 a week. My furlough payment is being worked out for this entire period meaning I normally get paid £800 a month but will now be getting just £500 a month. I don't know how I'm going to cope getting £300 less in income. Is this the correct way of working out my wages or should they be looking at my contracted hours as I always get paid for 12 hours a week and have done for the past 7 months. Because of this way of calculating furlough im receiving £100 less a month in furlough payments which is a huge amount for me and I'm starting to feel really stressed. To add on top of the stress they worked out my furlough originally for the 12 hours a week so they've taken £30 off my next pay to pay that back.
I'm also worried they've worked it out this way as my manager constantly messes up my pay so I'm being underpaid regularly and then being repaid wages in owed so my payslip amounts are never regular and I feel like i might be being penalized for this.

jenni40

Help! I started a new job on 16th March, worked for 5 days and was then furloughed unpaid ( as the cut off date was then 28th February). I worked 21 hours a week and get paid monthly at the end of each month. Then the date was changed to 19th March, so I thought I would be able to be paid for the lockdown period. I got paid at the end of March for the 5 days I had worked previously. At the end of April I didn't get paid, I messaged my manager and he said "due to the company pay run, they are unable to pay me" I don't understand what this means, and he hasn't got back to me explaining it yet. Can anyone help please. Thank you

calcotti

Laurasx said:

 I don't know how I'm going to cope getting £300 less in income. 

If needed look at eligibility for Universal Credit https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/. 

There are online calculators to help you assess entitlement  https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

Be aware that claiming UC will end any Tax Credits, Housing Benefit or other means tested benefits you currently get.

You will be excluded from UC if you have savings over £16,000.

calcotti

jenni40 said:

At the end of April I didn't get paid, I messaged my manager and he said "due to the company pay run, they are unable to pay me" I don't understand what this means, 

It would have been better to start your own thread instead of hi-jacking somebody else. 

It probably means they they did not run the payroll before 19th March which means youremployment was not reported to HMRC by then. This means the employer can not access the Job Retention Scheme in respect of you.

jenni40

Sorry I never meant to hi-jack your post, I did hit the new post button! But thank you for your info. 

Jeremy535897

If your contract of employment is for 12 hours a week, and that is what you consistently work, and but for errors your gross pay would be the same each month (from September), you are probably a fixed rate employee. If you are, your furlough pay should be based on your regular monthly pay, based on what it was for the last pay period ending before 19 March 2020. It sounds as if you are being treated as a variable pay employee, which would be correct if you were paid varying amounts each month (other than by virtue of payroll error).

Laurasx

Thanks for your responses! I've contacted payroll to explain so fingers crossed they can do something about it 😭

JATP

calcotti said:

jenni40 said:

At the end of April I didn't get paid, I messaged my manager and he said "due to the company pay run, they are unable to pay me" I don't understand what this means, 

It would have been better to start your own thread instead of hi-jacking somebody else. 

It probably means they they did not run the payroll before 19th March which means youremployment was not reported to HMRC by then. This means the employer can not access the Job Retention Scheme in respect of you.

My daughter stuck in same position,
No pay (contrary to what she was told in writing when placed on Furlough) , due to employer sending payroll data (RTI) to HMRC after 19th March. 
Stinks really. 

Laurasx

I contacted payroll and the basically said we worked out your furlough by looking at the past 12 months and haven't really given me a response. Is it fair to ask to have my furlough calculated as regular pay? Feels like the 12 month calculation is for 0 hour contracts or people who do regular overtime? I work for a very big company so I'm surprised they aren't looking in to it more.

Jeremy535897

You can certainly ask, if your pay doesn't vary now. (If their argument held water, wouldn't it make everyone who had a pay rise at some time in 2019/20 a variable pay employee?)

Laurasx

Exactly what im thinking and would be unfair on someone who went from part time to full time as they would have a significant amount less if it was worked out this way! I'm lucky my hours didnt change too much but is bound to effect quite a few people