”The vast majority of the UK workforce wont be covered which is why many factories and other businesses haven't closed, you will need to have lost business due to government actions over the virus or have been forced to close to qualify.
This was announced by the DUP on the N Ireland politics show on Sunday because the public are getting annoyed at non essential factory's and businesses who are refusing to close.“
I’m not entirely convinced of that argument. For many factories and businesses an overnight closure would prove difficult. Many have commitments to customers I would imagine and so probably have run till friday just gone to complete orders and tie up the business. Depends on what they are producing too.
A bed company near me kept running all week. For all I know they could be supplying mattresses to the hospitals?
Good point. A friend of mine works selling glass for a glass manufacturer. His company continued until last Friday completing orders and I believe the factory shut Friday and final deliveries go out today and tomorrow. My friend was instructed to stop selling glass by the end of last Tuesday.
He is self employed and his accountant says he qualifies for the £2,500 S/E payment as his three year "profit" average scrapes under the 50K limit.
The factory workers laid off on Friday and the delivery drivers laid off tomorrow get Furloughed.
Interestingly many of the deliveries couldn't be made to the double glazing unit manufacturers because they had shut up their shops and sent their workers home.
Now - making double glazed units doesn't generally seem to be a necessary occupation (unless they are being used in a new hospital?) and so they have shut.
Do you really think the government is going to say to these businesses that they could have continued so that Mr and Mrs Homecastle can have their new conservatory or replacement windows?