Holes in the government’s furlough scheme must be fixed to prevent people forced to shield at home during the coronavirus crisis facing a ‘cliff-edge’, Labour have warned.
The deadline to register workers for the government’s furlough scheme is this Wednesday. But the rigid rules mean anybody diagnosed with a condition that puts them at risk after June 10, or anyone who moves in and out of a shielded category, can’t be furloughed.
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds said current plans will force people into “an impossible choice between their livelihood or their health”.
She’s called for those shielding to be exempted from the June 10 deadline, and to be given the right to ask to be furloughed if they can’t work from home.