Government cut off date for furlough

[CountingDownToBedtime]

So just read online this morning that the cut off date to be furloughed is 28th Feb,which you have to be on your workplace payroll for.I started a new job on 16th March after working my months notice in my previous job which I was in for 7 years.
As I had resigned from my old job I can't get them to claim furlough for me so feel completely f**d over by the government.I wasn't unemployed in between the 2 jobs and have been in employment for many years and paid into the system.
I cried this morning when I read that the government's answer is to claim universal credit,which is a fiasco at the best of times.
There is a petition on change.org but unsure how to add a link for people to sign to close this loophole.

Martin Lewis looked into this after it was announced two weeks ago, and said there was little chance of it changing. They had to choose a date. He’s recommended going back to your old employer and asking them to furlough you and claim the money, although if I’m honest I have no idea why they would or what the situation would be if your old job counted as key work and therefore you could keep going and the new one does not.

I don’t think you’ve got much of a choice but to claim UC, or get some temp work in a supermarket/fruit picking etc... neither of which seem like great options.

There’s people who fall through the cracks all over the place, but that doesn’t help if you’re one of them. I hope you find something that works.

We get tax credits at the moment due to we were paying childcare costs,so will probably just update that and hope I can find something else ASAP.
Unfortunately the nursery my Son usually attends has closed for now due to lack of numbers of keyworkers, and my Husband is still having to work as skeleton staff at his job,so I,ll have to find something in the evenings due to having no childcare.My Mum had COPD so she can't have him either.

OP I'm in a similar situation to you, have fallen through the cracks. I was registered with a temp agency, although not on an active assignment for them on 28/2 (that had finished a couple of weeks earlier). Started a new assignment with a different agency I'd worked for before on 5th March and had an active assignment for March and April. The 2nd agency told me this morning they don't think they'll be able to furlough me, even though I was actively working for them because I started 5th March. I also have worked and paid in since I was 16. I feel your pain I don't qualify for UC, am going to look at New Style JSA this morning, my friend at the DWP said it's contribution based. Have you looked at this? x

You can ask your previous employer to take you back on and furlough you - they might surprise you by agreeing

Had your employer already recruited a member of staff? They might want you back, especially if you're a key worker.

A friend was in a similar situation but the new large-ish employer agreed to pay her anyway.

Sympathies OP - I've also fallen through all the cracks as I'm newly self employed.

Previous employers can only take you back on and then furlough you if you were made redundant I think.But my previous employer was a school and they are actually working all be it less hours,so no chance of getting back on their books,plus they already advertised and offered my old job to somebody else anyway.
I might look into that new style JSA if it comes to it,am hoping that the company I now work for will still pay me at least something.It is a massive company so hoping they don't lay me off.
Hope you other ladies who have also found yourselves in a predicament through no fault of your own manage to sort something out. xx

That’s really bad luck. Don’t worry about childcare, there will be a local nursery offering places if you can get a key worker role. Would you be prepared to work in the NHS?

Are your employer badly affected? You could speak to them about them covering 80% of your wages for the sake of fairness, since its supposed to be their job to cover it anyway!

Just saw this, which confirms earlier advice!

Thankyou ShellsAndSunrises I will try and find out this week if will continue to be paid even the 80% off new employer if not will approach my old employer,as I did leave on good terms thankfully.

Yes@ChipotleBlessing I have seen cleaning roles and catering at local hospitals so am prepared to apply for them if need be.I was looking on Indeed this morning so am feeling a bit more positive from when I read Google news this morning!!

As long as you were on payroll on 28 Feb.

Just came on as I am royally screwed. 28 Feb was my gratuitous week inbetween jobs! How can this be! I was in my last job for years! I think I am going to cry for the rest of the week. If anyone has a magic wand or a time machine please let me know and I will go back and make better choices.

@anonadvice please consider emailing your local MP about this loophole,as it affects a great many people I can imagine.Sending youxx