Furlough scheme set to be extended to September (at reduced 60 percent rate)

[DreamChaser23]

www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2020/05/10/job-retention-scheme-set-extended-september/

An announcement is likely today or tomorrow.

Thoughts?

I think 60 percent is an impossible amount to live on. Not to mention not everyone can go back to work (i.e. no social distancing measures), (the business is still shut) A lot more people will still struggle month to month.

Knowing the Tories I wouldn't be surprised if month by month they reduce furlough from 60 to 40 then eventually getting rid of the scheme...

@Hercwasonaroll it's looking like it will be extended from the latest published stuff. Possibly can do some from home but it's tricky with IT etc
Currently furloughed as my work is closed

I’d say an impossible amount to live on is £0 @DreamChaser23 Not ideal but the scheme has to end sometime.

The people that will end up furloughed that long ( I’m thinking bar staff, waiting staff etc, as even if bars, restaurants are allowed open in July they will have to have less customers social distance and all that so less staff ) will be minimum wage workers so a 40% wage cut will cripple them and they won’t be able to pay rent and so on.

I think a lot of business were not ordered to close and they have taken the piss quite frankly with this furloughed scheme and they will be the businesses the government will force back to work and rightly so. The people on furloughed until September will be for places the government order to stay shut.

Anyone furloughed is best off, at least trying to find any job they can get now as they are in real danger of being unemployed anyway.

Business are just going to have to open, the 2m thing isn’t set in stone France use 1m, Germany 1.5m, hand washing regularly but unless your manky your be doing that now anyway, hand gel dotted around for staff use, don’t stuck your fingers or keep touching face.

'Knowing the Tories I wouldn't be surprised if month by month they reduce furlough from 60 to 40 then eventually getting rid of the scheme...'

It was leaked last week that this was the plan.

I'm afraid that 60% is better than 0% and benefits. Which may be what a lot of people are heading for anyway.

I wish things weren't so cliff edge. LIke the self-employed stuff . If they do change it to £30,000 profits, that will cut out a lot of people who aren't yet allowed to work. A sliding scale of reduced support for people who earned above a certain amount or something would be a lot more helpful.

'Knowing the Tories I wouldn't be surprised if month by month they reduce furlough from 60 to 40 then eventually getting rid of the scheme...'

No government can fund the huge amounts required to take us to vaccine. There had already been an eye watering amount handed out.

Well you can't expect wages to be paid at 80% forever can you.

It has to end sometime. The dust has to settle and see how things are with the economy. The recession coming will be huge.

Other countries will have similar problems depending on how long they lockdown/financial stimulus/financial packages etc they arrange..

Well you can't expect wages to be paid at 80% forever can you.

Tbh, if the only reason you can’t go to work is that the bloody government have insisted that the industry you work in stays closed, then I think it’s perfectly fair that you should continue to be paid. It’s not your fault or your employer’s.

We would all like to at some point return to a world with pubs and restaurants and cinemas and such like, wouldn’t we?

Tbh, if the only reason you can’t go to work is that the bloody government have insisted that the industry you work in stays closed, then I think it’s perfectly fair that you should continue to be paid. It’s not your fault or your employer’s.

Agreed. Particularly people like pub landlords and owners of cafes, soft plays, gyms who are still probably having to do some kind of upkeep on the place so can't get another job.

Some people will need to try and get other jobs in sectors like takeaway driving and deliveries. However not everyone will be able to do this.

And to the people saying 'you can get another job.' Yes cause it is that easy? Especially during these times where competition is much more fierce meaning a lot of people can't get a second job.

There are some jobs available though and it's important they are filled rather than the government paying people for months. There will be some people who can be furloughed and take another job. We shouldn't disincentivise this.

I earn minimum wage, so 60% would normally be impossible to live on. Luckily I'm entitled to housing benefit due to being a single parent renting so that should be enough to top it up. I can't go back to work until school reopens and there's enough work for me.

My best friend is a head chef at a very good country pub, she divorced last year and has 2 children. She also has a mortgage and all normal outgoings. She is really panicking that they will reduce it to 60%. Couldn’t afford her mortgage or essential bills. Can’t get another job as she has always been a chef. No experience of anything else. UC would not cover her mortgage and other outgoings. She will lose her house god knows how she would get another.
How is it fair to reduce it to 60% when that industry is being forced to stay closed. She would love to go to work but can’t. If we do this there will be few pubs/restaurants left. So many children would lose their homes and end up in poverty.

It's better than what the US got. A one off payment of $1200...around that anyway. What do they do after a month?

Don't know what other countries did but to me the UK seems quite generous. Even down to 60%

I’m currently on furlough and work in the travel industry which will take a long time to recover

I can see us getting back to work and able to use social distancing measures however it will take a while for enough money to be coming in to pay the wages out

I understand furlough can’t go on for ever but industries that are going to struggle to recover for a while or can’t open eg pubs , restaurants will need additional help

I know people are saying redundancies will happen particularly in these industries but the selfishness in me is angry that I could possibly lose my job , a job I love , that I don’t do for the money through no fault of my own

I know it’s not the governments fault either but they are the only ones that can save it

Not sure what it is you're expecting OP? Yes it's a crap situation but 80, 60, 40% is surely better than nothing? No one could've predicted the devastation of COVID - Do you realistically think that furlough can continue indefinitely?

I'd love to be back at work but it's shut with no real idea when it might reopen. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Not my choice to be off work.

Just had a look, Germany pay 60% of salary, or 67% if a parent. So UK has been quite generous

@Boudicabooandbulldogs And presumably we would like for there still to be qualified and experienced chefs able to go back to work once we start getting back to normality. Rather than them all changing industry to whatever is actually allowed to open.

This is awful for those who are shielding.

And everyone who’s workplace has been closed and can’t go back to work

It will be hard for us but doable, we don’t really have a choice as my husband’s industry is likely to be closed for a long time. It’s a safety net at least, but it won’t be attractive to people who are enjoying being off from jobs in places that could be open on 80% pay.

Well you can't expect wages to be paid at 80% forever can you
Nobody is asking for that.
I am currently furloughed on 100% and want to go back to work, I like earning my wages.
I'm worried yes, more concerned about my shit mental health right now and being back at work would help with that massively. However my employers are probably one of the last that will open back up (possibly second to last) I can not work from home, it's not possible in my line of work.
I understand there's people worse off and I'm in a much better position financially but I couldn't survive on 60% of my wage.
If it does happen and my employer still tops up 20% then 80% is clearly better than 60% but many people would still struggle on that, my minimum wage cashiers for a start (I'm FT salaried, they aren't)
I just want permission to return, my employers to make our shops as safe as possible to work in and just bloody get back there.

Knowing the Tories...

No one would have been able to find a magical bottomless pot of money to fund it indefinitely.

I, in the group that have been continuing to work full time while taking a 20% paycut because the company said they needed to reduce wages to stay viable.

Hoping they don't feel the need to match this reduction as really can't stomach the idea of only getting paid 60% while still working full time

I am afraid we are going to run out of money, so really it is not an option to extend. By the end of June things will be much better than they are now. Lets hope we see the decline continue in numbers.