Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on extending the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to allow charity employees who would otherwise have been made redundant to continue working.
Any employer using a PAYE scheme can access the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
To mitigate the risk of fraudulent claims and to protect individuals, the Government made it clear that individuals cannot work or volunteer for their organisation. If workers were allowed to volunteer for their employer, the employer could ask them to work in an effectively full time way while only paying 80% of the wages
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with other Government departments and the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector to identify areas where volunteers can contribute to the COVID-19 response.