Thousands of people across the country are being denied the help the government said is readily available due to small loopholes.
Some businesses we know of was purchased a few weeks before the outbreak and had closed for a refurbishment. Due to this a few things were missed, but councils and government have not used their common sense.
Example 1: A council stated to one employer that they were not the rate payer at the time on the councils system, and therefor could not get the help. Despite that business owner having all the legal documents including the lease, that showed they were in fact the person, and it was just an oversight due to only just having taken the business over.
Example 2: Another businesses was purchased around the same time, and staff were not immediately transferred to payroll, so have been told they cannot be furloughed. However they are all LEGAL employess of the business regardless of this, and ACAS have advised that payroll is ONE part of employment, as the transferred staff have legal protection under TUPE regulations, they should be getting the same treatment as all other furloughed staff.
Some of these staff have now been home between 5 and 7 weeks without pay and are struggling to live.
Universal credit is an option and though most have taken it on whilst they wait for Boris and co to pull their finger out and get this sorted and uphold their promise to ALL staff affected by THEIR decision to close businesses- their words not ours! However what the country was not told is that they take into account a certain time frame you worked before you claim and deduct money accordingly.
Why is this important?
These staff are some of the hardest hit and do not have straight forward work circumstances. The government has not taken into account in these types of circumstances where businesses may have been taken over and there may be other issues. Neither have they responded to ANY emails from frustrated and worried people in these sorts of positions.
Ignoring the problem in the hopes it will go away.
It will not, and should not, these people are entitled to the SAME help as everyone else and should not be loop holed out of this through a lack of common sense at HMRC and local councils.
It is not only morally wrong to let these people suffer and fall through the cracks, but it is a blatant breach of equality and a clear break of their promise that NO ONE WILL STAND ALONE during this crisis.
