Furlough for 15 year old

[Dilligaf81]

Any advice? My 15 year old works for a gymnastics club as an assistant coach and has done for nearly 2 years. Initially all staff were put on furlough as obviously they can run sessions.
However now (3 days post pay day) they have said if you don't have an NI number you won't be receiving any money.

I can't find it written anywhere that she would have to have an NI number to be entitled to this. She would be eligible to pay tax if she went over her tax free threshold and is on the PAYE system.
Does anyone know if this is right?

Her boss is a slippery character who has booked her (and others) for hours previously then when an adult coach is ill and shes had to get another coach in has told them she cant pay them but it would be a great opportunity for them and they need to tell her how many hours they can do for free!!
Thanks in advance.

[YappityYapYap]

She won't be on the PAYE system unless she earned over the threshold. Seems unlikely that she would have earned over £12,500 last year so she wouldn't have been on the official payroll so won't have a PAYE reference

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

I thought it was illegal to work before 16 and without an NI number? My 16 yo waitresses and is on furlough at the minute, hasn't ever paid tax as she doesn't earn enough but she has an NI number.

[Kenworthington]

Nah you can def work under 16. Dd is 15 and has a part time job but she’s not getting paid. We assume she will go back to working there when it’s back open (hairdressers)

[Kenworthington]

As in she’s not getting paid NOW. She was paid for the work she did!

[Maxandezra]

as stated previously she wont be on the PAYE system. Her employer wont be able to claim furlough for her in the usual way if she doesnt have a NI number but can process a claim by calling the Gov helpline - see here: www.cipp.org.uk/resources/news/ni-numbers-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.html

What is her contract? How much does she earn on average each month? Her Furlough ammount will be worked out based on an everage of her last 3 moths pay I think
My 17 yr old dd worked part time as a waitress at local events place. She would tend to earn an average of £200 a month - bit more over Christmas period. She was Fulroughed and received £160 pay which seem very fair and right to me. She does have a NI number though and was on PAYE.

[FunnyInjury]

Yeah, furlough scheme requires an NI number definitely.

She could ask her employers to call the helpline and see what they suggest.

[kgal]

My 15yr old daughter has been furloughed by her employer and nothing has been mentioned about needing an NI number at all so it must be possible!

[ChanklyBore]

If 15yos are getting pocket money jobs paid for by the government, there is something wrong there. Especially in context for me personally - I am the sole support for a family of four, with a mortgage and sensible insurances to protect myself and my family, unable to work nearly overnight, yet to receive a penny.

[KeepWashingThoseHands]

Is this for real?

Bigger picture and all that.

[BrieAndChilli]

I don’t think furlough is really intended for young teenagers to get their pocket money jobs paid. It’s meant for the people unable to buy food or pay their rent.
I can see you teenager might be a little annoyed to not be getting money for nothing to spend on clothes and Costa but I think the money should go to those of us who need the money to buy food and pay bills while worrying that there won’t be a job to go back to

[TabbyMumz]

Asst coCh for a gymnastics club...is that not just cash in hand typd work? Especially if been doing it for a few years? Ie from age 12. Dont think you get an ni number before 16?

[NoHardSell]

Furlough might not be intended to support teens and their Saturday jobs but it is! Most of my kids friends are getting a fair whack weekly. As they will be paying this debt back forever, I'm not too annoyed about it
This is where a Universal Basic Income for adults might have been a handier concept

[RhymesWithOrange]

Agree with others. The furlough scheme is to help businesses and families survive. Not many 15 year olds will be living off their Saturday job money.

But you should check the legal position of your child's employment from a health/safety/liability perspective. E.g. if they got injured at work, or someone was injured under their supervision.

[KeepWashingThoseHands]

Whilst it's great to hear of teenagers with part-time jobs earning their own pocket money, the idea that furlough is offered to them is completely incredulous to me.

My company made redundancies this week and there are people on furlough struggling with 80% salary. The idea pocket money is equally as important as families paying bills is beyond ridiculous.

This whole, 'they'll be paying for it so they're entitled to it'. Seriously? Everyone else is also paying for it.

Between this and some people on mat leave wanting an extra 3 months salary, the lack of proportionality of some people during this crisis is astounding.

[Viviennemary]

I am totally amazed that 15 and sixteen year olds working a few hours are eligible for furlough.

[lazylockdowner]

My dd age 16 is a brutish gymnastics apprentice and is currently furloughed, she worked as a assistant helper coach from age 13. the assistant helpers (school girls) are not currently being paid at her club only the full time coaches with contracts

[lazylockdowner]

TabbyMumz no it's not a cash in hand job they are allowed to work a certain amount of hours between certain hours and you just have to apply to the local council for a permit, my dd was a assistant coach from 13 until she started her gym apprentice at 16

[TabbyMumz]

Yes lots of kids are coaches in sports clubs, but it's not like they are employed, theres no contract as such or ni or tax.

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

Whilst I get your point, blame the government for setting it up like this. I doubt a few teens refusing their furlough pay is going to make all the difference in the scheme of things.

[TheGinGenie]

You can be on the PAYE system even if you earn under the threshold - you don't have to actually have paid tax to be on the system, all employees should be on it so HMRC can see that they don't need to be paying tax (rather than just not putting them on and avoiding tax if they earnt more one month). We have plenty of part time workers who earn under £12500 but are on the system. You do need an NI number though.

[TheGinGenie]

If no-one working there earns more than £120 a week they may not have a PAYE system. It would have to be everyone though. Could that be it?

[TheGinGenie]

Ahhhh it's a combination of her being under 16 and under the threshold. Sorry I will read everything next time. She doesn't have to be on the payroll if she's under 16 and under the threshold, and she won't have an NI number until she's nearly 16, and you need an NI number to claim furlough pay.

Sorry OP

[Rainycloudyday]

I’m pretty disgusted that you and your daughter would consider that she should get furlough money. Families can’t pay the bills and keep a roof over their heads and you think she should have pocket money from a part time job paid for by the government?! I’m fast losing faith in people

[Dilligaf81]

She is on the PAYE system you don't just get put on it when you reach the tax threshold. Plenty of p/t workers done pay tax as well.
tabbymumz Yes she this is a proper job with a contract. She is a proper assistant coach with training and qualifications. She has insurance through the gymnastics association and also liability insurance through her works policy.
The club wouldn't be able to run without these dedicated teens. Some of her teen colleagues are getting furlough pay as they are 16 already but as she isn't 16 till the end of August she doesn't.
As others have said if a scheme is set up for people who work why shouldn't a teen who works claim if entitled to. I wasn't asking about the rights and wrongs of a scheme but whether her boss was correct in her implimentation as she generally treats the teen staff like shit. Even now she is demanding to know how many hours they will volunteer to to zoom sessions (def not going to pay them).
Teenagers not taking money is not going to stop other employers making redundancies in fact if most teens are like mine she spends her money so the retail sector would have a bit of a boast which other households affected won't be able to do.

Thanks to those who gave helpful information as for the judgement blame the policy if you have issue not those who use a system the way they are allowed to.