Govt furlough extended til October

[Joan0fSarc]

Thank goodness.

Relieved on the news for now ... however to all who are still working , just a gentle reminder , furloughed people still pay tax and national insurance on a furloughed pay packet and have been paying tax and NI contributions before this happened. My monthly bills aren't being reduced by 20%, so it's not all fun and games I would gladly work so that you can sit at home, be rest assured I don't spend my days baking , sun bathing and gardening. I sit at home wondering if I'll even have a job to go back too but yeah it's all great fun 🤦🏼‍♀️🙄

Sorry posted too soon. This furlough extension makes me wonder what they know.

@SeperatedSwans why should they be paid at UC levels when they're not unemployed? And they've been contributing into system, some still are, and will again when this is over? Mortgage holidays/rent allowances would cost a lot more than the housing element of UC in many cases too. All in all the bill may actually end up being higher.

Roof and food only for 7 months and the possibility of no job at the end of it. That'll do wonders for morale and the economy.

Stop being so bitter and envious.

It was very wrong when the chancellor stated that no one wants to be on the furlough scheme. My sister and close friend jumped on it and are loving it, chilled out time at home with kids and perfectly adequate pay. I’m sure many don’t want to be furloughed (I would hate it) but it’s patently incorrect to say that no one wants to be, and really irritated me for some reason.

It's not that there was a scheme it's that it's 80% of a wage, when you now have no travel costs, possibly no childcare costs and no leisure costs. They are being paid 80% of a wage to sit and do nothing whatsoever.

I actually did my own sums just for interest and found that if I was furloughed with a mortgage holiday I would have been saving huge amounts. Mortgage, transport, childcare, all leisure - gone. Huge cash savings. Without the mortgage holiday I had exactly the same amount in hand as when working full time. The scheme is too generous.

@Northernsoullover I don’t think it’s some big conspiracy about the virus and they know more then we do.

They had to make an announcement now as businesses who make more then 100 people redundant would have to go into statutory consultation next week for redundancy end of June. So they had to do something.

Companies now know they’ve got till end of July no change. So they hold of things for a month.

August they saying employers will share costs and will announce scheme in few days. Companies then will therefore have another month to work out if they can “contribute” from August. I mentioned on another thread I think it will be a siding scale.

The government are effectively saying to business adapt. You can also bring back people part-time to get businesses going.

This way also means we don’t have massive redundancies on 30 June they will likely be more spread out.

The scheme is too generous because you would have more money?

That’s nice. Doesn’t apply for everyone.

Our company also seems to have furloughed most of the younger workers. It's the over 40s here who are keeping the work going. We work hard, better and are more experienced that's why we were not furloughed. I predict lots of redundancies coming soon for my furloughed colleagues who have been enjoying their time off, most of them requested furlough. From a conversation with my boss today he doesn't expect he'll need many of them back so I doubt they'll be on furlough into Oct and will be made redundant sooner. For us working, yes it's back breaking, but I know when this is over I'll have my employer's gratitude and a secure job.

Anyone who chose to furlough should be the first to lose their job. Once companies are forced to contribute to the through costs I suspect many furloughed workers will be unemployed.

I think you'll find 80% of minimum wage IS just mortgage/rent food and bills

This.

There seems to be this ridiculous notion that those on furlough are high earners creaming off 80% of their wage while living it up sipping cocktails in their gardens, laughing at the losers still working.

Most people I know on furlough were on around £9 or £10 an hour. Try paying a mortgage/council tax/food bills etc for a family out of 80% of that and see how far you get.

And before people start on about single people having a blast on their 80%, they chose not to have kids. Usually the welfare bashers on here love to stick the knife in to those who 'choose' to have children and for whatever reason need to claim benefits. Now it's the turn of the childless to be on the receiving end of the resentment and anger.

Just stop it.

@Joan0fSarc because they aren’t working? And working full time, doing more work than usual whilst others do nothing for only 20% less does not help motivation for those still working.

@Cleanmean totally agree. My DH was offered furlough or 20 per cent pay cut and full time work. His company are treading water. Our view was if he went on the furlough list he was basically saying he wasn’t necessary to keep the company going and would be line for redundancy.

UC levels of income are not fit for purpose. I would've had to leave my property, sell my belongings and rent a single room. I would've had no money to pay for this move so I would've been doubly screwed and I'd have defaulted on numerous bills. Why do people resent that I get to not have my life ripped to shreds for no reason??? I may even have a job to go back to! Sorry for being such a lazy scrounger!

Cleanmean interesting. I wonder what your sector is but understand if you prefer not to say.

How much do you think the employer contribution will be? He hasn't mentioned it yet.

esjee two of my friends who work has waitresses on NMW, one asked to be made redundant, and claimed UC. They have their rent element fully covered and more money in hand from a UC claim one with a child. It made complete financial sense to do it. She now does not need to worry about her job not coming back till December and is quite happy on UC. I don't begrudge her I think it was great for her to do. She now volunteers delivering food bank parcels.

If they brought in a basic UC wage, the playing field would be levelled and those on NMW would have been better off than 80% of their previous salary!

So now you don't have the disparity of those on NMW struggling and those getting £2500 if you want to talk about fairness.

@Mirrorxx it's hardly the fault of the furloughed though, is it. They can't help being in the position they're in.

Esjee will you look for work or take the risk and chance looking later if you need to? What you described sounds hard but looking for a job if it happens later doubly so. Obviously it might all be fine.

Woodamdsky brilliant news!

Not one person i know who is furloughed is miserable. All of them are no worse off financially because they're not paying for travel. They're all enjoying the time off and glad of the extension. I don't buy the argument that furloughed workers are sat at home worrying and miserable. The vast majority of them are elated right now and relieved.

Don't request furlough if you have a job and need to keep it. Mass redundancies are on their way and those already on furlough will be hugely more likely to be on the end of this. If you can keep working, do. Requesting furlough at this stage if you don't absolutely have to is economic suicide.

@Joan0fSarc but it’s not the fault of those who have been made redundant and are only getting universal credit either. It would be better to ask businesses to pay more of the cost or reward those working in some form next year. At the very least those furloughed should not be accruing annual leave still. Surely it’s sensible to ask people to use any leave first?

@MarshaBradyo if i look for a job i won't get a redundancy payout. I've been there for 7-8 years now so the payout would help tide me over or at least move somewhere cheaper. I'll probably start looking seriously around july (as I'm guessing companies will start redundancies in august) and see what's out there and what state things are in.

Esjee fair enough re payout

@DreamChaser23 I said on another thread i think it will be sliding scale:

Employer/government: 20/60 - August
40/40 September
60/20 October

You will also be able to bring back people part-time say 50 per cent and government will top up to 80 per cent.

Who on earth would request furlough? I didn’t have a choice, I would much prefer to be working. I am also worried if I will have a job to go back to, I liked my job 😔

Employer/government: 20/60 - August
40/40 September
60/20 October

If this is correct it's extremely sensible