There have been almost 4,500 whistleblower complaints to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as businesses force furloughed staff to work, ITV News can reveal.
HMRC have informed ITV News of how unscrupulous employers are scamming taxpayers into working while also claiming cash from the government’s Job Retention Scheme (JRS), also known as the furlough scheme.
Two whistleblowers who wish remain anonymous tell their stories to ITV News Correspondent Richard Pallot.
A IT worker in his 40s, who works for a small company in London, has described his employers as being “plain criminals” for making him work despite being on the furlough scheme.
He told ITV News: “I was very happy for a long time in this firm, but one day, they said to me that needed to save money in difficult times and that they wanted to furlough me but keep on working – I said that’s not allowed.”
ITV News also heard from a receptionist who was furloughed in March and she hasn’t receive a single penny.
However she discovered last week the government had paid her wages from April onwards – but her bosses had kept it to themselves.
She told ITV News: “Well it’s horrible like you’re put in a situation and that where you feel helpless and you’ve got no one to turn to and her and her business partner are living off everyone else’s money.”
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