UK Furlough Scheme, who can claim?
Fortuous • April 15, 2020
Who can claim
Any UK organisation with employees can apply, including:
- businesses
- charities
- recruitment agencies (agency workers paid through PAYE)
- public authorities
You must have created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 28 February 2020 and have a UK bank account.
Employees you can claim for
Furloughed employees must have been on your PAYE payroll on 28 February 2020, and can be on any type of contract, including:
- full-time employees
- part-time employees
- employees on agency contracts
- employees on flexible or zero-hour contracts
- The scheme also covers employees who were made redundant since 28 February 2020, if they are rehired by their employer.
- To be eligible for the subsidy, when on furlough, an employee can not undertake work for or on behalf of the organisation. This includes providing services or generating revenue. While on furlough, the employee’s wage will be subject to usual income tax and other deductions.
- This scheme is only for employees on agency contracts who are not working.
- If an employee is working, but on reduced hours, or for reduced pay, they will not be eligible for this scheme and you will have to continue paying the employee through your payroll and pay their salary subject to the terms of the employment contract you agreed.
- To be eligible for the subsidy employers should write to their employee confirming that they have been furloughed and keep a record of this communication.
- Employees hired after 28 February 2020 cannot be furloughed or claimed for in accordance with this scheme.
- You do not need to place all your employees on furlough. However, those employees who you do place on furlough cannot undertake work for you.
If your employee is on unpaid leave
- Employees on unpaid leave cannot be furloughed, unless they were placed on unpaid leave after 28 February.
- If your employee is on Statutory Sick Pay
- Employees on sick leave or self-isolating should get Statutory Sick Pay, but can be furloughed after this.
- Employees who are shielding in line with public health guidance can be placed on furlough.
- If your employee has more than one job
- If your employee has more than one employer they can be furloughed for each job. Each job is separate, and the cap applies to each employer individually.
If your employee does volunteer work or training
- A furloughed employee can take part in volunteer work or training, as long as it does not provide services to or generate revenue for, or on behalf of your organisation.
- However, if workers are required to for example, complete online training courses whilst they are furloughed, then they must be paid at least the NLW/NMW for the time spent training, even if this is more than the 80% of their wage that will be subsidised.
If your employee is on Maternity Leave, contractual adoption pay, paternity pay or shared parental pay
Individuals who are on or plan to take Maternity Leave must take at least 2 weeks off work (4 weeks if they work in a factory or workshop) immediately following the birth of their baby. This is a health and safety requirement. In practice, most women start their Maternity Leave before they give birth.
If your employee is eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance, the normal rules apply, and they are entitled to claim up to 39 weeks of statutory pay or allowance.
Employees who qualify for SMP, will still be eligible for 90% of their average weekly earnings in the first 6 weeks, followed by 33 weeks of pay paid at 90% of their average weekly earnings or the statutory flat rate (whichever is lower). The statutory flat rate is currently £148.68 a week, rising to £151.20 a week from April 2020.
If you offer enhanced (earnings related) contractual pay to women on Maternity Leave, this is included as wage costs that you can claim through the scheme.
The same principles apply where your employee qualifies for contractual adoption, paternity or shared parental pay.
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