How do I get paid during lockdown?

What we understand about the situation as of 25/3/2020 - updated 6/4/2020
It’s a bit of a minefield knowing what help is out there and what you can do to keep afloat. We have put together this list of advice from a range of different sources. Links are here to help too. Of course, this is a constantly evolving situation, so we’ll update this as often as possible:

Employed, but on lockdown
Most employees will be furloughed and get 80% of salary up to a limit of £2,500/month. You must not do any work during this time. Your employer will claim this back from the Government. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees .This is the general link for all employee information, including statutory sick pay, but also talks about furloughed employees.

Contractor working through an umbrella company
You should get in touch with your umbrella company (or your agency should be able to put you in touch with them). The Umbrella company should be able to claim 80% of weekly pay from the government, and there should be forms created to enable you to do this. We understand that these aren’t available as yet.

Contractor working on a construction site – CIS
At present, some construction sites are still open, but we don’t know how long this will last. If and when your site closes, as far as we are aware, nothing specific has been announced about those working under the CIS scheme. However, CIS workers should be able to make the 80% claim under the job retention scheme like employees. It's something you'll have to claim for yourself, and works off what earnings you have declared in previous years. Unfortunately there’s no portal live yet for you to make the claim. 

Worker with own limited company
IR35 changes have been delayed a year. However, you will need to be prepared for when the changes do come in.

If all else fails, you could be able to claim universal credit and the links to find out eligibility and how to apply are here: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-to-claim

Hopefully, there'll be a bit more clarity about what we can all do soon, but in the meantime, we hope you all stay safe and well.

25 March 2020