Thank you for contacting me about the support available to new starters during the Covid-19 pandemic.
I welcome your support of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, and I read the proposals under the Early Day Motion with great interest. I agree that the scheme is a truly vital mechanism for workers across the country in order to protect jobs and provide essential income at this challenging time.
I wholeheartedly support the Chancellor’s decision to extend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and I urge all employers to re-hire eligible workers to take advantage of the measures put in place. By extending the scheme to include those employed up to 19th March 2020, a day before the scheme was announced, it is estimated that around 200,000 employees will benefit. The Chancellor has also recently stated that there are currently 8.9 million jobs that have now been furloughed, which I believe is testament to the challenge Covid-19 poses to our economy and the importance of the financial support which has been made available. I also welcome the extension of this scheme to the 31st October.Â
While the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been crucial for a huge proportion of the workforce, all individual circumstances cannot necessarily be accounted for. If anyone is unable to benefit from the scheme yet their income has been affected by the pandemic, I urge them to apply for Universal Credit. Universal Credit is available to those on a low income or out of work, amongst other criteria, and can be claimed online at: https://www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-universal-credit.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Craig Whittaker MP
June 2020