Furloughed paymets

Nikster73

m having an issue with our accountant.  In Jan 20 I was paid a lower wage than my normal monthly salary, as I was attending hospital appointments that month.  Then in February, I was on SSP due to having surgery.  I was also on SSP for March's salary.  My sick line was up until 13th April.  If it were normal circumstances, I would now be working full time receiving my normal monthly salary.  The accountant has advised me that I will be furloughed on the amount I was paid in January.  For example:-
January salary - say £500
Feb salary - £441 ssp
March salary £441ssp
April salary would have been say £1000 but accountant is telling me my furloughed amount will be based on the January £500 amount.  Is this correct? 

Brynsam

Nikster73 said:

m having an issue with our accountant.  In Jan 20 I was paid a lower wage than my normal monthly salary, as I was attending hospital appointments that month.  Then in February, I was on SSP due to having surgery.  I was also on SSP for March's salary.  My sick line was up until 13th April.  If it were normal circumstances, I would now be working full time receiving my normal monthly salary.  The accountant has advised me that I will be furloughed on the amount I was paid in January.  For example:-
January salary - say £500
Feb salary - £441 ssp
March salary £441ssp
April salary would have been say £1000 but accountant is telling me my furloughed amount will be based on the January £500 amount.  Is this correct? 

If you read the MSE guide by clicking the banner above your post (and possibly refer the accountant to that), my take is that furlough pay would be based on what you received in February. Whether your employer then tops it up to 100% is another matter.

Savvy_Sue

Brynsam said:

Nikster73 said:

m having an issue with our accountant.  In Jan 20 I was paid a lower wage than my normal monthly salary, as I was attending hospital appointments that month.  Then in February, I was on SSP due to having surgery.  I was also on SSP for March's salary.  My sick line was up until 13th April.  If it were normal circumstances, I would now be working full time receiving my normal monthly salary.  The accountant has advised me that I will be furloughed on the amount I was paid in January.  For example:-
January salary - say £500
Feb salary - £441 ssp
March salary £441ssp
April salary would have been say £1000 but accountant is telling me my furloughed amount will be based on the January £500 amount.  Is this correct? 

If you read the MSE guide by clicking the banner above your post (and possibly refer the accountant to that), my take is that furlough pay would be based on what you received in February. Whether your employer then tops it up to 100% is another matter.

Although if February wasn't 'normal' I think there's an alternative option. OP needs to read the guide you suggested, and they still think accountant is wrong then refer them to that. 

BrassicWoman

Our accountant as in it’s your company that you own? Or something else?

Nikster73

Yes the account we use for the company we own.

LilElvis

The guidance is quite clear. Under the section "Employees returning to work after being on sick pay" it states that the furlough calculation should be based on normal salary and not the amount they were paid whilst sick.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/work-out-80-of-your-employees-wages-to-claim-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Nikster73

Thanks.  
I just read the details on the link.  My only issue would be that it states claims for those on VARIABLE pay receive 80% of the same months wages as the previous year, but my regular salary is not variable amounts.  Is this why my accountant is furloughing the amount lower., because my Jan 2020 age was £500 ( not my regular £1000).  All of  2019 was £1000 and Feb /March 20 was around £400 as these months were sick pay.

The accountant is adamant that Im furloughed on the lower amount, and I dont know what I can do to change that?

Employees returning to work after being on sick pay

For employees on fixed pay, claims for full or part time employees furloughed on return to work after time off sick should be calculated against their salary, before tax, not the pay they received whilst off sick.

Claims for those on variable pay, returning to work after time off sick should be calculated using the highest of either:

• 80% of the same month’s wages from the previous year (up to a maximum of £2,500 a month)
• 80% of the average monthly wages for the 2019 to 2020 tax year (up to a maximum of £2,500 a month)

comeandgo

Well, if he is your accountant tell him/ her that's what you want, if it's wrong it will be on your head or get your company to make up the difference.

sharpe106

You said that in January you only earned £500 due to attending hospital appointments, so do you get paid hourly or did you take unpaid leave for those appointments? If you took unpaid holidays and have an annual salary that is not usually changed then it should be 80% of your salary.

If you get paid hourly do you do the same hours each week/month?

 

Nikster73

I have told the accountant to put through the higher amount of my salary, but she is telling me No that the RTI reports have been sent.  Cant be changed? And that due to my Jan salary being £500 that's the amount I'm furloughed on.  I'm banging my head off a brick wall and losing out financially 

sharpe106

If they won't change it not much you can do, at best report them but not sure that will make much difference. What is your annual salary?