EMPLOYER

Employers of all sizes can apply for funding for a placement through the Kickstart scheme

The funding covers:

• 100% of the National Minimum Wage (or the National Living Wage depending on the age of the participant) for 25 hours per week for a total of 6 months
• associated employer National Insurance contributions
• employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions

Employers providing work placements will be reimbursed for 25 hours a week at National Minimum wage, in addition to National Insurance and pension contributions. You will also receive up to £1,500 per placement to cover the costs of equipment, training and other associated new-starter costs.

The initial £1500 setup cost is paid when the HMRC can confirm the young person is employed and showing on your payroll. The remaining funding payments are made in arrears at month 2, 4 and 6 of the placement. It will take approximately 6-10 weeks for the DWP to confirm your eligibility, provide you with a suitable candidate and commence work.

The funding would be initially transferred to us as your Kickstart Gateway, then as soon as the funding is confirmed, we will contact our employers directly to arrange a quick transfer into your account.

Kickstart Gateway organisations act to support employers to access funding through the Kickstart Scheme by submitting batches of applications on behalf of employers who cannot provide at least 30 placements. As a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) nominated representative, we would collect all the required information needed to submit an application on your behalf and distribute the funding directly into your account.

Once a young person starts with you on the Kickstart Scheme you will be committed to paying them at the National Minimum wage rate, as part of your usual payroll arrangements. You can pay a higher wage but will only be reimbursed for the minimum wage bracket for the young person’s age group banding.

Currently, employers are able to access funding for an unlimited number of opportunities, with the first placements having started in November 2020.

Employers will be able to write their own job descriptions, interview and choose the employees, however the candidates will be sent to you via JobCentre work coaches.

Initially, the Kickstart scheme will run until December 2021, with the last placements due to finish in the summer of 2022. You do not have to wait until a current placement has finished before applying for new funding.

The job placements created with Kickstart Scheme funding must be new jobs.

The job placements must not:

replace existing or planned vacancies or cause existing employees, apprentices or contractors to lose work or reduce their working hours

The job placements must:

be a minimum of 25 hours per week, for 6 months; pay at least the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage for the employee’s age group; only require basic training

For each job placement you must help the young person become more employable. This could include:

looking for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals; support with curriculum vitae (CV) and interview preparations; developing their skills in the workplace

The young person may be able to move to another employment scheme when they’ve finished their 6-month Kickstart Scheme job placement.

Employers can spread the start date of the job placements up until the end of December 2021. A Kickstart Scheme application must be for a minimum of 30 job placements, but Kickstart gateways can help employers with 29 or less job placements by applying for funding on their behalf. Burnley College is a Gateway and can support you in accessing this funding for your business.

From 3 February 2021, employers can apply directly to the Kickstart scheme for any number of job placements. We are removing the threshold of 30 job placements. You can also choose to apply through a Kickstart gateway, including those supporting sole traders.

As a Kickstart Gateway, we will:

• Gather information from you about the job placements you’d like to offer
• Submit an online application on your behalf 
• Provide you with a variety of employability skills and additional development options

If your organisation is creating more than 30 job placements as part of the Kickstart Scheme, we can assist you by gathering all the information needed to submit a complete application on your behalf.

To find out more information, get in touch with a member of our Kickstart Team on

01282 7330547

[email protected]

After we submit an application on your behalf, young people will be referred directly to you through their Jobcentre Plus work coach, and you can go through your usual recruitment processes to select a suitable candidate.

We will transfer your initial setup payment when you are able to confirm the young person has started work, is enrolled on your payroll and is being paid through PAYE.

The DWP will use information from HMRC to check that the young person is still employed and will pay remaining funding in arrears. The remaining funding payments towards wages and other associated contributions are made in arrears at month 2, 4 and 6 of the work placement.