How long do you think the Furlough Scheme will realistically last?

[DreamChaser23]

Indefinitely until a vaccine is found?

I think it will probably have to be indefinitely. The other alternative is putting people on UC which might be less but still costly.

End of June as it stands

End June, I guess, for most people.

There might be a continuing scheme for the formally shielded, plus other exceptional cases (possibly run along the lines of maternity pay, with no cost to the business and guaranteed right to return)

I suspect some will still have them working and will split the furlough bonus with their employees further down the line.

I know cases where this is happening.

Those saying 80% is too much, I'm guessing you have not been furloughed and have the luxury of a stable job and salary during a time like this. 20% decrease in salary is a manageable amount for most households. If it was reduced anymore how exactly do you expect people to pay their mortgages, bills, feed themselves and their children ect.?? Remember, people live their lives based on the amount of household income they have, decreasing that is going to mean a lot of people count afford basics. You cant just insist they lose majority of their income because of a global pandemic!
You are talking as if employees had a choice in this, they didn't. Stop wanting them penalised for something out of their control.

To those saying it should be limited to universal credit amount or similar have you thought how that would affect those who normally earn a lot more? Their bills will still need to be paid, how do you suggest they manage that?
£2500 a month may seem generous but it amounts to £30k a year. Plenty of furloughed workers have already taken a crippling blow to their household finances. It's all relative.

I don't think it will go beyond the end of June for most as businesses will be expected to make decisions regarding cash flow. However if the government continues to restrict their ability to make money then it is only reasonable that they continue to provide support to those affected.

However if the government continues to restrict their ability to make money then it is only reasonable that they continue to provide support to those affected.

I agree. The furlough scheme needs to stay in place for as long as current restrictions and any social isolation restrictions are in place.

The scheme has to end soon. It is madness to keep paying people in businesses that will never reopen. We have to think of the future of our country.

Yep agree it’s long enough now (already extended).

It as so generous that they won't be able to sustain it for long. We may move to shielding the vulnerable and the rest of us having to get on with it.

“You are talking as if employees had a choice in this, they didn't. Stop wanting them penalised for something out of their control.”

@GreytExpectations

Companies often make redundancies. That is also out of the employees control.

You are deluded if you think the government is going to pay 80% of wages indefinitely. It was a short term fix to buy everyone some breathing space.

"nudge" to get those businesses back open who are allowed to and workers back to work who aren't shielding

One useful nudge would be widely available testing so that I could be sure , over a period of a few weeks, whether I am an asymptomatic spreader who should self isolate or ideally that I have had the virus and am now immune.

Anyone who tests positive is supported in serious isolation until if ever they are immune.

I know those tests don't yet exist but when they do, it will be a game changer for me.

As it happens I can work reasonably productively from anywhere. I haven't being going out except for my daily exercise because DH is older and trying not to show that he is anxious about getting it. If I could be tested it wouldn't really impact my work life but I'm sure it would for others.

My DH an i both lost our jobs in the credit crunch. It was outside our control and we had bills to pay. Job seekers allowance was a lot less than furlough. I am so grateful for this scheme i just hope my husbands employer is able to get running and not make mass redundancies as i know this cant go on forever.

@Abraid2

Have you reported them to HMRC?

It’s an interesting argument the companies issue. How many are taking the piss and how many are genuine? I don’t suppose we will ever know.

People in industries that can’t reopen will have to be paid but for all the rest it has to be if you can open them you must. There will be a hell of a lot of job losses at the end of this.

Not much past the end of June. Any longer would be unsustainable economically. You can't ask workers to pay more tax when only a few people are earning real money. I suspect it will be phased, but not much longer than that.

I work in a industry closely linked to hospitality. We've furloughed 80% of our small team. Without the scheme most people would have been made redundant by now with no prospect of a similar job in the near future. I'd guess most earn between £25-35k. I'm grateful for any chance it gives my colleagues for money and hope they will have a job to come back to. I hope by the time the scheme ends (I'd guess end of July), some of my furloughed colleagues will be able to come back. Not all will unless there's a miracle economic recovery. Its bleak looking at our prospects.

No because I fear harming an innocent and law-abiding party who might lose a job they need in the future. I don’t feel very good about it and I wish I hadn’t found out. I know I’ll feel worse when I’m paying a heavy amount of income tax myself at some point. Because we will all be paying this bill ☹️

@Abraid2

You know you can make an anonymous report to HMRC online?

Companies often make redundancies. That is also out of the employees control.

Yes, but what does that have to do with furlough and the attitude towards it unless you think all employees who have been furloughed should be made redundant? You can't be serious. That will break the economy and cause a lot of serious issues for many families. What a horrible, selfish attitude you have.

If people deserve to get 80% of their pay because the virus isn't their fault, then we really need to be looking into universal basic income, because it's also not people's faults if they cant work because of illness, disability, caring responsibilities, redundency, lack of suitabke employment etc.

I do worry about the knock-on effect of ending furlough, though. Lots if businesses many if which probably provide goods snd services you enjoy will go bust in the near future. Then, if vast swathes of the population lose their jobs and move onto universal credit, a lot of other businesses providing non-essential services will no longer have enough custom to continue, as people will have to give up spending money on all but the basics of life. And then the people in those sectors will lose their jobs, too, cresting spiral if job loss, so even if you do have an income, you will have far fewer options about what to spend it on.

You are deluded if you think the government is going to pay 80% of wages indefinitely.

@TazSyd well, can't be deluded because I never said that. But clearly you are if you can't understand the serious economic consequences that having mass redundancies would cause.

@GreytExpectations

You are claiming I’ve said things that I haven’t and then informed me that I am selfish for saying things that I haven’t actually said. What I have actually said is clear from my posts.

I don’t engage with posters who are unwilling to discuss things sensibly.

Some people are really not very compassionate for others

My daughter and her boyfriend work in bars/restaurants and earn minimum wage topped up with tips

On furlough they can pay their rent and subsist with food/bills

Without it and without their jobs being there they will need universal credit

They are young and healthy and being fucked over to save others - they should be supported without the awful censure of others and the idea that they should be thrown to the dogs or on the scrap heap sooner rather than later is awful

George osborne said on question time last night that he thinks furlough will be extended.
I hope so.
Its got to be cheaper to administer than milllions of universal claims.