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07
Sept 2020
Harrogate Citizen's Advice 'bracing themselves' for unemployment rise
Harrogate's Citizens Advice Bureau says they are "bracing themselves" for a sharp rise in unemployment in the town when the furlough scheme winds down.
Ed Pickering, who runs the Harrogate branch of the charity, told the Stray Ferret that whilst the scheme has protected employees from losing their jobs, he expects the economic impact of coronavirus to eventually hit workers in the district.
Over 15,000 people in Harrogate and Knaresborough have had their jobs protected through the furlough scheme. New claims for out-of-work benefits such as Universal Credit and Jobseeker's allowance stabilised over the past few months.
Local MP Andrew Jones previously said concerns over a surge in unemployment at the end of the scheme were “alarmist”.
Mr Pickering called the last few months "the calm before the storm" but said the charity is already starting seeing to see people who are furloughed in Harrogate and concerned about losing their job.
He said:
Read more:
Andrew Jones MP ‘out of touch’ on furlough, say Lib Dems
Harrogate out-of-work benefits claims rise slightly
In 2019 the government announced that the Harrogate Job Centre would be the first place in the country to pilot the Universal Credit managed migration programme, which transfers people claiming other benefits such as income support and job seeker's allowance onto Universal Credit — but the process was beset with delays.
The Harrogate pilot was announced with great fanfare, including a visit from then-Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd. Ms Rudd said 10,000 benefit claimants would eventually move over to Universal Credit at Harrogate, but figures released to the Stray Ferret by Harrogate Borough Council revealed that only 64 people had by the end of last year.
The pilot was suspended in March this year, Mr Pickering says news on the scheme has gone "very, very quiet", with the charity in the dark on whether it will even continue.
But despite a challenging 2020 with charity staff now working from home and speaking to clients over the phone, Mr Pickering praised the dedication of its volunteers:
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