Can I get a job and immediately be furloughed?

Chomeur

Probably not. But it seems hugely unfair. People on furlough are effectively unemployed but are paid £1-2000/month by the government. If you don't have a job to be furloughed from then all you can do is live on savings, or claim benefits of about £400/month once they have gone (and probably then be obliged to spend 35 hours/week looking for work, which you won't find).
Is there a solution to this?

w00519773

Why would an employer want to recruit you if they will furlough you immediately? I thought the furlough scheme was there to support people who were employed i.e. not unemployed?

oh_really

A job that requires to be done such as care, or campaign for JSA to be 1-£2000/ month.

Mrsn

No... furloughs cut off was June, there’s nothing that can be done to change that. 

Whilst you might find it unfair most of these people furloughed if they haven’t returned by this point or been given a date to go back are probably going to find themselves on the second part of your options. Not ideal either way really is it.

Brynsam

Nobody ever suggested life was fair. COVID19 has just exacerbated some of the unfairnesses.

JReacher1

It’s a bit blasé but you should have got a job before the furlough scheme was announced. 

I see the furlough scheme as a reward for those people who have worked hard in their careers and for no fault of their own find themselves not needed at work due to this coronavirus crisis. 

Comms69

Chomeur said:

Probably not. But it seems hugely unfair. People on furlough are effectively unemployed but are paid £1-2000/month by the government. If you don't have a job to be furloughed from then all you can do is live on savings, or claim benefits of about £400/month once they have gone (and probably then be obliged to spend 35 hours/week looking for work, which you won't find).
Is there a solution to this?

Whoever told you life was fair lied. 

Chomeur

Comms69 said:

Chomeur said:

Probably not. But it seems hugely unfair. People on furlough are effectively unemployed but are paid £1-2000/month by the government. If you don't have a job to be furloughed from then all you can do is live on savings, or claim benefits of about £400/month once they have gone (and probably then be obliged to spend 35 hours/week looking for work, which you won't find).
Is there a solution to this?

Whoever told you life was fair lied. 

No of course life's not fair. But there are laws that go some way to make it so. Isn't the policy rather ageist? Younger people entering the job market now get £400/month, older people who have had a job get much more. That might be a route to challenge it.
In reality people on furlough are unemployed. The government doesn't want it to look as if they are because the unemployment rate is such a headline figure.

Chomeur

w00519773 said:

Why would an employer want to recruit you if they will furlough you immediately? I thought the furlough scheme was there to support people who were employed i.e. not unemployed?

Maybe you accept really bad conditions for a month in return for them then furloughing you? But if the cut off date was June then clearly that won't work.
As I say, people on furlough are in reality unemployed.

[Deleted User]

Chomeur said:

Comms69 said:

Chomeur said:

Probably not. But it seems hugely unfair. People on furlough are effectively unemployed but are paid £1-2000/month by the government. If you don't have a job to be furloughed from then all you can do is live on savings, or claim benefits of about £400/month once they have gone (and probably then be obliged to spend 35 hours/week looking for work, which you won't find).
Is there a solution to this?

Whoever told you life was fair lied. 

No of course life's not fair. But there are laws that go some way to make it so. Isn't the policy rather ageist? Younger people entering the job market now get £400/month, older people who have had a job get much more. That might be a route to challenge it.

Sadly I don’t think so, whilst grateful and understanding how I may have now got some time in a job, as the nearly 39 year old on 17k I am acutely aware my far younger colleague at 24 receives 16k, when they were advertising I saw many emails flying in from ‘ job seekers’ to my Employer saying work for 16k are you having a laugh and that was June 2020... didn’t get their ages sorry but it was quite an eye opener.
Getting a job isn’t for the faint hearted and people are free to check how strong/in demand an industry is on applying for the job.
Appreciate this thread was probably best suited to discussion time.

Wyndham

JReacher1 said:

It’s a bit blasé but you should have got a job before the furlough scheme was announced. 

I see the furlough scheme as a reward for those people who have worked hard in their careers and for no fault of their own find themselves not needed at work due to this coronavirus crisis. 

Hmmm.... it's not that simple.  I worked hard, but I had a fixed term contract.  It ended in mid -March.  At the time I really wasn't worried about getting another contract somewhere, but it didn't work out that way.  I asked my previous employer if they would take me back and immediately furlough me, but they didn't want to do that....  I'm far from alone, and I've worked, and worked hard, for the best part of 30 years.

Words like 'reward' are not helpful, it's far more complicated, for many people, than you realise.  I'm glad you are OK, but please realise that many others are not, and it may not be their 'fault' either.