Pre-school Education: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

(asked on 1st February 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of enabling private nurseries and early year providers to furlough staff who need to self-isolate for the period of that isolation.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 10th February 2021

During the COVID-19 outbreak, we have provided unprecedented support to the early years sector, making grants and loans available and ensuring early years providers can access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for their non-government funded income, and that childminders can access the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

If an employee is on sick leave or self-isolating as a result of COVID-19, they may be able to get help with Statutory Sick Pay, guidance for which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay. The CJRS is not intended for short-term absences from work due to sickness: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme. Short term illness or self-isolation should not be a consideration in deciding whether to furlough an employee. If, however, employers want to furlough employees for business reasons and they are currently off sick, they are eligible to do so, as with other employees. In these cases, the employee should no longer receive sick pay and would be classified as a furloughed employee.

We continue to work with the early years sector to understand how they can best be supported to ensure that sufficient safe, appropriate and affordable childcare is available to those who need it now, and for all families who need it in the longer term.

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