Furlough fraud

[Purplethrow]

If a company is claiming furlough payments for it’s staff , are there any checks done to ensure that they have actually furloughed them ?

That's what the HMRC audits will be for over the next 7 years

I don't think there are routine checks but if you know a company committing furlough fraud I think there's a way to report anonymously

Is there anywhere a person can ask if furlough is being claimed for them ?

My payslip clearly shows furlough payments as a separate line to hours worked on full rate (I’m part time furlough) so their payslip should reflect it? You also have to sign to accept the furlough scheme. Although they may have forged that!

The payslip doesnt mean a lot to be honest. Anyone could add in a furlough field to the software. It doesnt show whether claim is being made or not.

If you're unsure and it sounds that you are, why not call HMRC?

We’ve just had our statutory accounts audited and the auditors did some checks including asking to see the letters informing staff they were being furloughed.

My company is getting a check apparently - received an email the other day! Not sure what they are gonna check or ask for though

I wonder if HMRC will be looking at the employees that came into work at our place ‘for the odd day here and there’ to keep things ticking over while the tax payer was paying their wages.

What about people who have been furloughed on 80% pay and they then go and get temporary work elsewhere?

Arnold that is perfectly acceptable and within the rules.

Stupid, but there you go 🤷‍♀️

It may be but why should the taxpayer facilitate people being double paid? There are thousands of people out there who have ben working BAU all the way through this but incompetent and profligate Rishi will be spreading the cost of the debt across all taxpayers regardless of whether you've had a lovely furloughed holiday for a year or got yourself double paid.

Always a few furlough bashers show up! Nobody who got furloughed has much of a choice. It’s done now - they aren’t gonna change it.

You can talk about how they should of done it / alternatives but it’s too late now.

All companies over a certain size are getting audited. We got the letter a few weeks back but as we furloughed nobody it was a pretty easy reply for HR to draft.

Dont get me wrong Arnold, I agree with you.
It's a fact that it isn't furlough fraud though.

Just another ill-thought, badly executed idea by the shitshow shower of twats in charge!

There is also a lot of fraud with the Bounceback loans with people setting up fake companies to get the £50k by using stolen identities.

Someone i know who runs a micro pub ie a shop/alehouse rather than a traditional pub, took a big fat business loan from the government because the business had had to close, but it then continued trading as a takeaway selling bottled beers etc.

There are canny people and criminal making fortunes out of this mess and ripping off the uk taxpayers. Many will never be tracked,detected,made to pay because the agencies responsible are incompetent.

@Arnoldthecat

Someone i know who runs a micro pub ie a shop/alehouse rather than a traditional pub, took a big fat business loan from the government because the business had had to close, but it then continued trading as a takeaway selling bottled beers etc.

There are canny people and criminal making fortunes out of this mess and ripping off the uk taxpayers. Many will never be tracked,detected,made to pay because the agencies responsible are incompetent.

If it’s a loan then they have to pay it back (with interest after 12 months). I’m confused what they have done wrong here?

If its a loan,is it a personal loan or a business loan and what is it secured against?

@Arnoldthecat

If its a loan,is it a personal loan or a business loan and what is it secured against?

They're govt backed business loans and perfectly legitimate to use them and trade

Funny you ask that as I recently saw a Twitter thread on the same subject. In those tweets, the (ex)employee knew her employer was claiming furlough on her behalf as she was exorbitantly taxed

So if its a business loan,secured on nothing in particular and the business miraculously fails post covid, then its non repayable?

@Arnoldthecat

So if its a business loan,secured on nothing in particular and the business miraculously fails post covid, then its non repayable?

Looks like it, along with the fraud that is going on it is also expected that many won't be able to pay it back.