Paying your apprentices that are furloughed
You can use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to claim for 80% of your apprentice’s usual wages, up to £2,500 a month for each apprentice you’ve put on furlough. You can also claim for any employer National Insurance and minimum workplace pension scheme contributions paid on that wage.
You must pay apprentices that you’ve put on furlough at least the National Minimum Wage for any time they spend on off-the-job training. If your furlough payment is less than this amount, you must pay the additional wages up to this amount.
Contact Acas if you need more information about paying apprentices on furlough.
How to work out your apprentice’s wages
- Calculate your apprentice’s furlough payment using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme calculator.
- Work out the amount your apprentice should receive for the off-the-job training they do. You must multiply the appropriate National Minimum Wage for your apprentice by the number of off-the-job training hours they will do over the furlough period.
- If your apprentice’s furlough payment is more than the amount they should receive for their off-the-job training, you do not need to top up their pay.
If the furlough payment is less than the amount they should receive for their off-the-job training, you will need to pay the apprentice the difference.
Example without employer top-up
You’ve put an 18 year old apprentice who is contracted to work 37 hours per week on furlough. They continue to train one day (7.5 hours) per week.
The National Minimum Wage for this apprentice is £4.15 per hour, which they must get for every hour they spend doing off-the-job training. You do not have to pay your apprentice the National Minimum Wage for the hours they are not working or training.
Working out
£4.15 (hourly pay) x 7.5 (hours) = £31.13
£31.13 x 3 (weeks) = £93.38
Over 3 weeks, the apprentice must get at least £93.38.
You receive £368 from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (this is 80% of the apprentice’s current wages over a 3-week furlough period). This is above the National Minimum Wage for the hours they spent doing off-the-job training, so the employer does not need to pay any extra.
Example with employer top-up
You’ve furloughed a 22-year-old who is in the second year of their apprenticeship. They’re contracted to work 37 hours per week, but you’ve agreed with the apprentice and their training provider that they’ll train for 4 days per week (7.5 hours per day). This is to cover as much off-the-job training as possible whilst the apprentice is on furlough.
The National Minimum Wage for this apprentice is £8.20, which they must get for every hour they spend on off-the-job training. You do not have to pay your apprentice the National Minimum Wage for the hours they are not working or training.
Working out
£8.20 (hourly pay) x 7.5 (hours) = £61.50
£61.50 x 4 (days) x 3 (weeks) = £738
Over 3 weeks, this means the apprentice must get at least £738.
You receive £728.16 from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (this is 80% of the apprentice’s current wages over a 3 week furlough period) This is less than the National Minimum Wage for the time the apprentice spent on off-the-job training, so the employer must pay the remaining £9.84.
Guidance for apprentices, employers, training providers and assessment organisations about changes to apprenticeships due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Essential coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance
All coronavirus articles for the apprenticeship service
- Furloughed apprentices
- Record coronavirus (COVID-19) related breaks in learning in the ILR
- Expired Funds
- Pause or stop an apprenticeship because of coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Coronavirus (COVID-19): how the apprenticeship service will support you
- Changes to apprenticeship assessments
Documents
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for apprentices, employers, training providers, end-point assessment organisations and external quality assurance providers
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Details
This is a difficult time for apprentices, employers and providers of apprenticeship training, assessment and external assurance. The government is committed to supporting apprentices, and employers continue to build the skills capabilities the country needs now and in the future.
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is responding by taking steps to ensure that, wherever possible, apprentices can continue and complete their apprenticeship, despite any break they need to take as a result of COVID-19, and to support providers during this challenging time.
The support we are providing includes:
- confirming flexibilities to allow furloughed apprentices to continue their training and to take their end-point assessment, and to allow existing furloughed employees to start a new apprenticeship, as long as it does not provide services to or generate revenue for their employer
- encouraging training providers to deliver training to apprentices remotely, and via e-learning, as far as is practicable
- allowing the modification of end-point assessment arrangements, including remote assessments wherever practicable and possible – this is in order to support employers, providers and end-point assessment organisation (EPAOs) to maintain progress and achievement for apprentices
- clarifying that apprentices ready for assessment, but who cannot be assessed due to COVID-19 issues, can have their end-point assessment rescheduled
- apprentices whose gateway is delayed can have an extension to the assessment time frame
- enabling employers and training providers to report and initiate a break in learning, where the interruption to learning due to COVID-19 is greater than 4 weeks
- clarification on how to record breaks in learning in March so that funding is not unnecessarily disrupted
- confirming that, where apprentices are made redundant, it is our ambition to find them alternative employment and continue their apprenticeship as quickly as possible and within 12 weeks
- confirming that where apprentices are made redundant and are ready to go through gateway, that providers and EPAOs are able to make the necessary assessment arrangements to support these apprentices
We are keeping the developing situation, and our guidance, under review and will continue updating this guidance as new information is available and/or the situation evolves.
Our information should be read alongside the government’s COVID-19 guidance and support for businesses, in particular the salary support for furloughed employees, which also applies to apprentices.
Read guidance from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) on the delivery of assessment.
DfE coronavirus helpline
Telephone 0800 046 8687
If you have a query about coronavirus (COVID-19) relating to schools and other educational establishments, and children’s social care, in England contact our helpline.
Lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm and weekends 10am to 4pm.
If you work in a school, please have your unique reference number (URN or UK PRN) available when calling the helpline.
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