Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support he plans to offer new starters who cannot claim under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and have (a) been denied furlough pay by their previous employer and (b) are not eligible for universal credit.
It has not been possible to include in the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme individuals for whom HMRC had not received a Real Time Information submission notifying payment in respect of that employee on or before the 19 March, as this would have significantly increased the risk of fraud.
Individuals with sufficient National Insurance contributions who have lost their job may be entitled to support from the welfare system, notably new style Jobseeker’s Allowance, which does not assess capital or partner income.
The Government has introduced wider measures to support those who may be in difficulty during the Covid-19 crisis, including mortgage holidays, a pause on evictions, hardship funds from local authorities, and help with utility bills.