Extended Flexible Furlough Scheme

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Sent on behalf of Buckinghamshire HR Department

The extended flexible furlough scheme, (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)), is open until the end of April 2021. The scheme changes now make it possible for schools to claim a grant while allowing employees to continue to work part-time. Schools may only claim the grant for privately funded posts.

You can claim 80% of an employee’s usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. You can claim for employees who were employed on 30 October 2020. You are not able to claim employers NI or pension contributions.

The changes to the scheme mean that schools can claim for parent/privately funded posts (even if employees continue to work in a post funded by the DSG, (either at the same school, or at a different school). During the hours the employee is on furlough, they cannot do any work for you in the furloughed post.

It is essential that any grant from the CJRS does not duplicate other public funding Schools receive. In the spirit of this intention, Schools should take account of any additional financial support the Government has provided to them to support their continued efforts to address the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic; support that is intended to cover both increases in expenditure and budgetary pressures arising from falls in income. Where staff costs for those on furlough would ordinarily have been met through a mixture of public funding and other income, funding from the CJRS should only cover the costs not previously met through public funding.

To be eligible for the grant, schools must have confirmed to their employee in writing that they have been furloughed. The employee does not have to provide a written response.

From February, HMRC will publish information about employers who claim for periods starting on or after 1 December 2020 as part of their commitment to transparency and to deter fraudulent claims.

You must:

  • make sure that the agreement is consistent with employment, equality and discrimination laws
  • keep a written record of the agreement for five years
  • keep recordsof how many hours your employees work and the number of hours they are furloughed (i.e. not working)

In order to ensure full holiday pay entitlement is paid, Schools must continue to pay 100% of salary for the duration of the furlough.

Please complete the attached form. Claims can only be made retrospectively a month in arrears, if you have employees that meet the criteria above and you have fulfilled your employer obligations please email the form below to payroll@buckinghamshire.gov.uk no later than the 12th of each month in line with the normal payroll deadline.

School Furlough Form

 Please note that we can only process claims from January 2021 onwards, if you do have employees you wish to place on Furlough for January please send the information no later than the 31st January.

 It is the school’s responsibility to inform the payroll department asap of any changes that need to be made with regards to the hours being claimed and start and end dates of the furlough claims being made