Not eligible for furloughing due to changing jobs beginning of March

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DH is in the position. Seems very unfair. Just wondered if anybody else is in this position.

He left his previous employment as a permament teacher on the 29th of Feb and he started working for a new school (emplyed directly by the school not through an agency) as a supply teacher on the 2nd of March (literally the very next working day). When schools closed he obviously was let go, but he isn't eligible for furlough as he hadn't been working there on the 28th Feb. He can't claim from his previous school as he wasn't let go from there due to coronavirus.

I can understand why there is a date set due to rthe likelihood of fraud, but it seems dreadfully unfair that he was just changing jobs in the "wrong" weekend!
The furloughing is put in place to protect employees that have lost their job due to coronavirus, which is the case for DH, who has no prospect of a teaching job in the near future till the schools, which could be in September...6 months away

Anyone else in this postition, or any advice?

Thanks

It should be for those who had accepted job offers from a certain point and have written evidence. I know someone else in your position it isn’t fair sorry.

Could his old job put him back onto the payroll just to furlough him? On the agreement he will be let go when this is over.

If he has a good relationship with them it's worth asking.

Its backdated to the 28th of Feb to ensure back pay to 1st March, but didn't appear to be dependent on being employed in that postion from the 28th of February (especially as the announcement was made mid March).

I would check the exact rules again.

Hi yes this happened me, I changed jobs the same weekend. I can verify you it’s correct, no need to check. However I am in the “lucky” position that I am now moved to another office to work there under the same company with a slightly different role. They kindly offered me the choice so I wouldn’t be unemployed. So I am now a key worker with no childcare who has to work to keep the house and if I get sick I’ll get ssp.

Can you husband take another job somewhere else’s in the mean time, believe me I know it’s not as easy as get another job but it looks like it’s his only option?

My friend’s son left a job he had been at for ten years and was having a two week break before starting his new job. Poor lad has nothing as both firms have shut down for the duration (posh landscaping).

Such a horrible situation for him.

In the exact same position with my husband. Its very unfair. He's frantically applying for jobs.

@Bouncingbomb unbelievably bad timing 😞

It is userxx. He really is the nicest lad, hardworking, lives quietly, looks after his mum. He has worked for this firm since he left horticultural college and was the bosses right hand man, such a shame they can’t do something to look after him.

Sorry to hear that others have had similar experiences. My DH is going to talk to his union to seee if there is any chance that his old school might put him back on the payrol, but I think it's a very slim chance really.

The worse thing is that as he is a teacher there are no alternative companies, or places of work. Even tutoring can't be done as it would break the rules of social distancing. he's looked into online tutoring, but not had much luck.

@Bouncingbomb that's so unfortunate. Such bad timing. Why can't they go with something like 3 years of tax records etc like they are doing with self-employed people. My DH has worked for 17 yrs as a teacher, with no break, and has paid many thousands in tax to HMRC.

That's quite shocking given that this is such a busy time of the year to change employment.

There will be lots affected by this.

Yep happened to my husband started on the 2nd March, now we have to live on my part time money. It’s not fair but what can you do, no one could’ve seen this coming and prepared for it 😢

but what can you do write to your local MP. If there are enough people raising this issue it can be discussed in parliament. My DH said the shadow chancellor has already brought it up in a cabinet meeting.

It's going to be 6 months till the UK is back to normal, 6 months before schools opening probably, can survive for a couple of months, but 6 months of not getting paid because of an arbitrary date set, seems unfair to me.
We will all be paying these grants back for years to come and some of us will be paying when we didn't even get paid extra in the first place!

Martin Lewis has just confirmed on his Facebook page that old employers can hire staff back to furlough them. Even if they left to go to another employer. The treasury has agreed it's allowed.

But obviously still relies on his old employer agreeing.