A CAMPAIGN has been launched to encourage the Government to close the loopholes in its furlough scheme to help people who have been made redundant due to the lockdown.

Many Dorset people will be affected, and one man has told he has no option and needs to get back to work.

New Starter Justice is campaigning for the furlough scheme to have its cut-off date, 19 March, removed.

The cut-off date, which has already been moved once, means that an employee has to have been on the payroll at their place of work from before that date and, if they were not, then they are ineligible for the furlough scheme.

The campaign group has estimated that more than one million new starters have been excluded by the cut-off date and have been left with no income during an already difficult time.

Natalie Greenway, organiser of New Starter Justice, said: “We appreciate the extraordinary challenge the Chancellor was faced with when creating a scheme of this size, however he has proved himself that there is still time and capacity to make much needed amendments to support those who need it.

“He has been silent on this matter for too long, and our

concern for the future has become our unavoidable reality.

“The devastating impact of this issue is hitting the households of over a million families right now.”

David Hough, from Charlton Marshall, is struggling with the lack of income he is receiving during lockdown.

He said: “I started a new job on 13 March and worked up until the lockdown was implemented on 23 March. They tried to put me on furlough but couldn’t because I wasn’t on the payroll before 19 March.

“I tried to go back to my old job, which I left on 13 February, to see if they could put me on furlough but they won’t.”

Mr Hough, 46, received a letter from the Government in March advising him to shield for 12 weeks as he had leukaemia when he was younger.

However, he can no longer afford to shield and is going back to work next week. He added: “I’ve got no option. I need to work.”

Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, is in support of the New Starter Justice campaign and has himself lobbied the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, highlighting the gaps in the furlough scheme and encouraging him to reassess it.

Mr Loder said: “Anybody who has found themselves in this situation please feel free to get in touch with me.

“On behalf of those constituents who have already contacted me about this, I have gotten in touch directly with their previous employers because they should be helping to put their ex-employees on furlough.”

“If anyone is in difficulty then write to me and I will do what I can to help.”

Chris Loder can be contacted at hello@chrisloder.co.uk.