Furlough extended until April

Coldwinterahead1 · 2020-12-17T16:24:36+00:00

So this means the Government expect it to go on for another 4 months at least ?😢 oh god please tell me I'm wrong.

kittensarecute · 17/12/2020 16:27

Oh please no...

Waxonwaxoff0 · 17/12/2020 16:28

I wonder how many people have been on furlough this entire time? I was on it from March until August. Can't believe it's been nearly a year.

QueenStromba · 17/12/2020 16:33

I wish the government would stop dangling false hope in front of the country. We'll probably still be wearing masks indoors next Christmas.

AnneLovesGilbert · 17/12/2020 16:34

All over by Easter the PM said. But he also told a packed room of shoulder to shoulder MPs a couple of months ago it would all be over by Christmas. He’s a fool.

GintyMcGinty · 17/12/2020 16:35

That's really helpful to the Charity I work for. It will save some jobs and allow us to carry on with our work.

Without furlough we wouldn't have survived at all.

southeastdweller · 17/12/2020 16:35

Yes, it's pretty ominous. It's going to be a hell of a tough winter.

Kazmerelda · 17/12/2020 16:36

Perhaps it’s just to make sure people are financially covered as long as needed as hopefully things would be better before this?

MarshaBradyo · 17/12/2020 16:36

Furlough for nearly a whole year

KindnessCrusader · 17/12/2020 16:37

@Waxonwaxoff0 my Husband has 😢

MarshaBradyo · 17/12/2020 16:37

From March longer than a year then

So depressing

CountessFrog · 17/12/2020 16:38

Bankrupting the country while quietly cocking up the vaccination programme.

nancy75 · 17/12/2020 16:43

I’ve been on furlough the whole time. I work for a very small business which had to close during both lockdowns & has only been allowed to reopen with very reduced numbers attending. Although the business is running if my boss had to pay my wages it would tip the business over the edge at the moment.
The business is not struggling due to lack of demand but totally due to restrictions that mean it can’t bring in what it usually would.
My husband works as a manger for a large pub chain.
To say I’m grateful for furlough would be a massive understatement - without it we would be absolutely buggered

GrumblyMumblyisnotJumbly · 17/12/2020 16:44

@AnneLovesGilbert

All over by Easter the PM said. But he also told a packed room of shoulder to shoulder MPs a couple of months ago it would all be over by Christmas. He’s a fool.

March 2020 Johnson said we can ‘send coronavirus packing in 12 weeks’ if we follow the public health advice.

Sept 2020 Boris Johnson has claimed life can still be “back to normal by Christmas” in some ways “We are aiming for that, we are driving for that,” the prime minister said.

I wouldn't hold much store by what he has to stay. He is indeed a complete and utter fool.

Cleanmean · 17/12/2020 16:44

Well that's depressing. Half of the staff at my company have been furloughed since March, they kept the hard workers on. We've been working our socks off since March, covering for people on furlough, going into the office, doing work we've never done before without any training, watching our colleagues on social media going on long bike rides, gardening, walking, shopping. It's completely demoralizing and there's no chance our company will let us swap with those on furlough. Not all industries have been badly affected by covid, like mine. People need to be allowed to come back to work.

Florabella · 17/12/2020 16:45

And still they are ignoring all those excluded from any Government help.

Hardbackwriter · 17/12/2020 16:53

I honestly can't work out why they've announced this now? Essentially making it clear that now you will not be 'having Christmas at Easter' as so many people seem to expect isn't going to do much to encourage compliance or for people to voluntarily restrict themselves more than the law allows over Christmas - 'this will be your last chance in a while' is surely the last message they need?

Mousehole10 · 17/12/2020 16:53

Interesting they have only extended it for one month though. It fits nicely into their plan of getting back to normal around Easter time. Lets hope it stays that way!

Oblomov20 · 17/12/2020 16:59

Only surprised he only did it for one month extra!

Oblomov20 · 17/12/2020 17:03

I'm very resentful to the staff at my company, and actually all staff in the uk, who will have been on furlough for a whole year. 12 months? Whereas I've been working like a dog. Then I feel ashamed that I'm resentful.

NatashaAlianovaRomanova · 17/12/2020 17:03

I'm sick of it... I've worked 12 hour days Mon-Thursday this week processing payroll & getting furlough reports ready to submit - tomorrow I will start at 6am & submit furlough claims all day, finishing time will be when I get to the bottom of my pile in the vain hope that our clients receive the payment from HMRC in time to pay their employees before Christmas & if it's not there it must be my fault even though I've made it clear once I submit the claim it's completely out of my hands.

I've not had a day off since March & won't get one until furlough ends. I know for a fact that some clients are using furlough simply to give their staff an income there will be no job when it ends.

They've had 9 months to sort this shit out furlough should have been tightened up, improved & targeted to companies who actually need it/will make it through. Because until furlough ends we've no real idea of the devastation covid will leave in its wake.

Oddbutnotodd · 17/12/2020 17:04

Given that it will probably take most of 2021 to vaccinate the population they may extend it again. We won’t be back to normal anytime soon.

Hardbackwriter · 17/12/2020 17:06

They've had 9 months to sort this shit out furlough should have been tightened up, improved & targeted to companies who actually need it/will make it through. Because until furlough ends we've no real idea of the devastation covid will leave in its wake.

Yes, I just said this on another thread but I don't think they'd ever had made eligibility for furlough so broad if they'd realised at the time that there would still be people on it (at least) 13 months later

Babbas · 17/12/2020 17:13

Our firm has not been affected by covid, we are as busy as ever. But with half the staff on furlough its made working life unbearable for those who have worked without a break all year. Stop this madness it's insane. Our bosses recently emailed people about returning to work and all bar 1 replied saying that they wouldn't want the option of coming back to work to swap with those of us who have worked through. I am resentful, tired and fed up. My firm furloughed staff because they could, not because they needed to.

user1471439240 · 17/12/2020 17:36

The IFS has the figure of 2 million still on furlough since March

HarveySchlumpfenburger · 17/12/2020 17:46

@Hardbackwriter

I honestly can't work out why they've announced this now? Essentially making it clear that now you will not be 'having Christmas at Easter' as so many people seem to expect isn't going to do much to encourage compliance or for people to voluntarily restrict themselves more than the law allows over Christmas - 'this will be your last chance in a while' is surely the last message they need?

Probably because when they announced the last extension last minute it was a bit late for all the furloughed people who were made redundant in anticipation of furlough ending while companies were still suffering because of covid.