Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

(asked on 19th April 2021) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of amending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme so that disabled workers who are concerned about returning to work due to their impairment have the right to be put on furlough if they cannot work from home.


Answered by
Jesse Norman Portrait
Jesse Norman
This question was answered on 27th April 2021

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has been available since the start of the pandemic. Shielding guidance is no longer in place, but Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) individuals can continue to be claimed for like everyone else, subject to the CJRS eligibility criteria.

It is not for the Government to decide whether an individual firm should put its staff on furlough; that is a decision for the employer, in consultation with the employee. CEV individuals and those who are disabled should talk to their employer to discuss and agree options in relation to work, such as working from home, or returning to the workplace in a different role if their previous position cannot be fulfilled in a COVID-secure manner.

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