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Employees who have been working in the island less than five years and have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic will be entitled to weekly payments of up to £150 in exchange for voluntary work, the government has announced.
The COVID-19 Related Emergency Support Scheme (CRESS) aims to provide weekly payments to cover basic costs.
The CRESS scheme will run from 1 April and is planned to end on 30 June, with payments being made weekly in arrears.
Those who have been working in Jersey for at least six months will receive £150 a week. Couples who have both lost their employment will receive £250 week, with a supplement of £50 per child to be paid.
Those who have been working in Jersey for less than six months will receive £70 per week per person will be available.
The government said it will also provide support with repatriation costs if travel arrangements can be made.
A repatriation flight for Polish nationals living in Jersey will be taking off this Saturday (4 April) as a result of collaboration by the Polish Embassy UK, Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government of Jersey.
Video: The Chief Minister's update from 1 April.
Applicants to the CRESS scheme will have to be available to support any voluntary, government or community work required during the corona virus emergency. They will also have to undertake relevant job-seeking activities and take up any paid employment that is available.
“It is an important part of Jersey’s financial safety net that people need to be in the Island for five years before they can ask for help from Income Support,” the Minister for Social Security, Deputy Judy Martin, said.
“That is our “business as usual,” and people who have been in the Island for less than five years don’t normally need help from the Government.
“Today we face an extraordinary situation, where people who have come to the Island to work cannot support themselves, through no fault of their own. Some may be desperate to return home to family and friends, but must remain in Jersey for the time being.”
The Minister said that while the weekly payments under the CRESS scheme are lower than income support, they would help people “meet their essential needs until life returns to normal”.
However, the CRESS scheme will not provide additional support with rent or mortgage costs and those worried about these costs are being encouraged to speak with their landlord or mortgage lender.
Pictured: The Customer and Local Services building in La Motte Street is currently closed with services being delivered online and by telephone.
Meanwhile the first phase of the Co-Funded Payroll Scheme (CFPS) launched yesterday. It will offer businesses subsidies of up to £200 per week per employee for the period 20 to 31 March 2020.
Businesses can apply online and the government said that money will be paid to struggling businesses “within a matter of days”.
More details on Phase 2 of the scheme will be announced after 13 April but it should provide up to 80% of wages to a larger range of businesses and self-employed workers who pay Class 2 Social security contributions for at least the period from April to June.
Under the scheme, businesses and self-employed workers will be able to claim subsidies towards wages or salaries up to a maximum of £1,600 per worker, per month.
If the disruption persists beyond June, the scheme may be extended.
It is believed the CFPS will support up to 27,000 jobs at a total cost of up to £101 million.
“When this scheme was announced only 12 days ago, Senator Farnham promised to ensure that we got financial support to businesses in greatest need as soon as possible,” the Assistant Minister for Treasury and Resources, Senator Ian Gorst, said.
“Today, this launch achieves that aim, and eligible businesses will get money within a matter of days of making an application. In order to carefully protect our public finances, in what will be a long road to economic recovery, the Government is taking an approach of ‘economic triage’ with our support schemes.”
Businesses can also apply for the Business Disruption Loan Guarantee scheme, which will provide government backing for lending to eligible local businesses with a turnover of less than £10m.
To apply for help through the Covid Related Emergency Support Scheme (CRESS), email CRESS@gov.je or call (01534) 444444.
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