Supply Teachers: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

(asked on 25th January 2021) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of making use of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme compulsory for education supply staff.


Answered by
Jesse Norman Portrait
Jesse Norman
This question was answered on 28th January 2021

Agency workers, including supply teachers, are eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in the same way as other employees and can continue to be claimed for during periods of school closure provided that the usual eligibility criteria are met. However, the furloughing of staff through the CJRS is a voluntary arrangement, entered at the employers’ discretion and agreed by employees.

Functions given to HMRC under the Coronavirus Act 2020 to implement the CJRS do not enable Government to require employers to furlough their staff or alternatively require employees to agree to be furloughed. It is not for the Government to decide whether an individual firm should put its staff on furlough.

The Department for Education has published detailed guidance on the application of financial support schemes for the education sector, including for supply staff with various different employment arrangements, on GOV.UK.

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