Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in September on the number of destitution change of conditions applications received by her department.

The Government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is currently extended until 30 September 2021. Whilst it is not necessarily an automatic consequence that change of conditions applications will increase at the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Home Office will respond as appropriate if this is the case, adjusting operational resources as necessary.

Many applicants impacted by the coronavirus will already have been granted recourse to public funds and the expectation is that as restrictions lift those on furlough should be able to return to work.