Updated: 27/05/2020; 17:47hrs

COVID-19 Safety Measures

Updated: 07/05/2020; 16:38hrs

Funds from the Second Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) Claim were paid over to our workers this morning.  We have today made our third claim to HMRC, which covers the period from Monday 4^th May to Sunday 10^th May inclusive.  We intend to continue making claims on a weekly basis until such time that our workers have new assignments to go to, or the CJRS ends.

If you require any information regarding the scheme, or you are not currently in the scheme but believe that you should be included, please email your enquiries to compliance@igloodrivers.com.

Updated: 29/04/2020; 17:52hrs

The first Furlough payment was received from HMRC on Wednesday 29^th April.  This included claims for workers whose furlough had been confirmed in writing as of 23^rd April 2020.  We have today been able to process the payroll for those workers included in the HMRC payment, and therefore payments will be made to them on Friday 1^st May.  Payslips will show a full breakdown of all Furlough Payments and will cover the period from the Furlough start to the later of Furlough end, or Sunday 26^th April.

We intend to put in our next claim on Thursday 30^th April, for the period from 27^th April to 3^rd May 2020, with adjustments for any workers whose Furlough had not been confirmed in writing as of 23^rd April 2020.

Updated: 27/04/2020; 09:12hrs

The HMRC have approved our first claim application and we hope to have the payment through by the end of this week. Please continue to check back on here as once the funds are received we will announce when we will be running the payroll and when you can expect the money to hit your bank accounts.

Updated: 23/04/2020; 17:09hrs

Igloo are pleased to announce that the first Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) claim was successfully submitted on Thursday afternoon (23^rd April).  The claim included several hundred workers and covered the period up to 26^th April 2020.

Read the latest news article from Igloo’s Company Accountant, Mike Scott by clicking on the below link:

1st CJRS Applications Submitted

Updated: 21/04/2020; 17:47hrs

The HMRC application portal is now live, please click the below link to read more about what has been happening behind the scenes at Igloo and where we are at currently with regards to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Igloo’s Behind The Scenes CJRS Process

Updated: 17/04/2020; 14:01hrs

There was some more good news announced this week with the Government extending the cut-off date for new starters for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme from 28^th February 2020 to the 19^th March 2020, however this date is confusing for Employees and Agency Workers as it doesn’t cover everyone that started up to and including the 19^th March 2020. This date extension is actually for when Igloo reported their Employees and Agency Workers to the HMRC on an RTI (Real Time Information) Submission. Please see further details below:

• Igloo’s weekly paid Employees and Agency Workers are reported to the HMRC on an RTI Submission each Friday that they are paid.
• Any Employees or Agency Workers for Igloo that are paid weekly are paid on a Friday for the previous week’s hours, worked between Monday and Sunday. There are some of Igloo’s Employees and Agency Workers where the weekly pay period is between Sunday and Saturday of the previous week.
• As the 19^th March 2020 was a Thursday Igloo’s last RTI Submission that could be used to furlough weekly paid Employees and Agency Workers was Friday 13^th March 2020. This RTI Submission would include any new starters up to and including Sunday 8^th March 2020.
• Any weekly paid Employees or Agency Workers that started after Sunday 8^th March 2020 would not have been reported to the HMRC on an RTI Submission until at least the 20^th March 2020 and therefore we are unable to furlough these workers and make a claim to the Government in accordance with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Should you have any questions or queries regarding this please email compliance@igloodrivers.com

See below for further information regarding the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and how this applies to Igloo.

Updated: 09/04/2020; 10:16

LATEST UPDATE FOR PAYE WORKERS

Documentation regarding the Governments Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has now started to be sent out to our PAYE workers, please keep an eye out on your emails.
We have an awful lot to send out and whilst a lot have already been sent there are still a lot to  go out, your ongoing patience is appreciated as we send these out to you.

If you have any questions or queries once you receive the documentation please email compliance@igloodrivers.com

Updated: 08/04/2020; 14:59

We would like to reassure you that we are continuing to take the current Coronavirus situation extremely seriously, and we will continue to put first the health, safety and well-being of all our staff.

Our approach is to continue to follow the latest guidance from both the Government and the NHS, and we will ensure that our employees and Agency Workers’ best interests are always put first, at the same time that we try to safeguard the long-term sustainability of the business.

On 20th March 2020, the Chancellor announced the creation of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which allows UK Employers to apply for a grant for ‘furloughed employees.’ Employers can use a portal to claim for 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) usual monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month. The scheme will operate from 1st March 2020 for 3 months. It was clarified late on Wednesday 26th March 2020 that Agency Workers would also be included in this scheme.

The criteria for PAYE Agency Workers to qualify for this scheme is detailed below:

• The Agency Worker was on the PAYE payroll on the 28^thFebruary 2020 (amended on 15th April: the Agency Worker was on the PAYE payroll on or before 19 March 2020 and were notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 19 March 2020).
• The assignment that the Agency Worker was undertaking has temporarily ended due to the Government’s guidelines regarding Coronavirus.
• To be eligible for the grant, when on furlough, an employee or Agency Worker cannot undertake work for, or on behalf, of the organisation. This includes providing services or generating revenue.

For those PAYE Agency workers that do meet the criteria for this scheme it is important to understand that Igloo will apply for this grant, however this application will be subject to Government approval and although we do not expect many, if any, to be declined, there is always the chance that this could be the case.

The government are building a portal to allow employers to submit their claims for grants. This is expected to be by the end of April but no specific date has been released yet.

Over the coming days those Agency Workers that Igloo is proposing to ‘furlough’ will receive an email containing further information on CJRS and what this means to you.

Please be assured that Igloo’s Senior Management, along with our Legal Partners, are working around the clock to make this process as smooth as possible, and we will continue to update workers as we have further information available to us. We really appreciate your patience at this worrying and unprecedented time.

Umbrella Workers

If you are on an assignment with Igloo and currently paid through an umbrella company, then as an employee of that umbrella company you will need to contact them directly to discuss the Governments Job Retention Scheme. If you require any help with contacting your umbrella company or to discuss and obtain any updates on the current situation regarding the assignment you were on with Igloo, please contact your Igloo consultant who will be happy to help or email compliance@igloodrivers.com and we can assist you from there.

Limited Company Workers

If you are engaged through your own Limited Company with Igloo, we want to assure you that we are here to help you and if your engagement has temporarily come to an end then we look forward to re-engaging with your company once the Government advise businesses can start to get back to some normality. Igloo consultants are still available to take your calls, messages and emails to discuss and keep you up to date with the engagements you were on. We strongly recommend that you read the Governments information which is available on the below link:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme

Should you have any questions or queries in the meantime could you please email compliance@igloodrivers.com

Please continue to follow the Governments advice and keep yourself, your loved ones and the wider community safe.

Kind regards,
James Mawby