Schools: Agency Workers

(asked on 6th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to encourage schools to financially support their directly employed supply staff through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or Job Support Scheme.


Answered by
Nick Gibb Portrait
Nick Gibb
This question was answered on 14th October 2020

State funded schools continued to receive their budgets last academic year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial or complete closure. This ensured that they were able to continue to pay their staff and meet their other regular financial commitments. During the period of full or partial school closures, the Department’s guidance advised schools to continue to pay any directly hired staff, including supply staff, as normal.

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) COVID-19 Job Retention Scheme guidance outlines that organisations with staff costs that are publicly funded, including schools, should use that money to continue to pay staff, and not furlough their staff. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

HMRC's Job Support Scheme will open on 1 November 2020 and run for 6 months, until April 2021. Further guidance will be published shortly and will be available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/job-support-scheme.

In September, schools fully reopened for all pupils and the Department anticipates that the demand for supply teachers will return to normal in this academic year.

A broad range of specific COVID-19 financial support for all educational settings including early years, schools, further education colleges and universities is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care/coronavirus-covid-19-financial-support-for-education-early-years-and-childrens-social-care.

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