Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to protect the employment of seafarers in the shipping industry after the implementation of changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on 1 July 2020.
As of 7th June 8.9 million workers have been furloughed through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), with a total of £19.6bn claimed. From 1 July, employers can bring back to work employees that have been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim for the hours not worked. Employers will need to agree any flexible furlough arrangements with employees.
From August 2020, the level of the grant will be slowly tapered to reflect that people will be returning to work. To enable the introduction of flexible furloughing, and support those already furloughed back to work, claims from July onwards will be restricted to employers currently using the scheme and previously furloughed employees. Further information about the scheme can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wages-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.
Shipping companies may also benefit from a range of other schemes. The Business Support website provides further information about the support that has been made available, who is eligible and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.