In your corner: REC Campaigns and Policy news - 24 March 2022

With the Chancellor presenting his Spring Statement this week, the end of all remaining Covid restrictions on 1^st April, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, there’s plenty keeping  the REC’s campaigns team on our toes.

Here are some of the key industry updates and a look ahead to some upcoming events including one with DWP that you might want to be at.

Chancellor’s Spring Statement

On Wednesday, the Chancellor delivered his Spring Statement, after the ONS reported the highest rate of inflation for 30 years. It was arguably more policy heavy than many expected but overall, it did more to deliver on the Chancellor’s focus of being a tax cutter, and less for business, and low and middle-income earners. As expected, the National Insurance increase is going ahead but the threshold will be increased to £12,570. The Chancellor announced three immediate measures to help ease the cost-of-living crisis:

• A 5p per litre fuel duty cut, as trailed in the media.
• Homeowners in GB will no longer pay 5% VAT on energy efficiency measures for household (in place for next five years).  
• Funding for household support doubled to £1bn.

The final announcement and Rishi’s cat in the hat was a commitment to cut the basic rate of Income Tax from 20p to 19p in the pound – the catch, it’s not expected until 2024.

You can read our full Budget analysis here.

Ukrainian Crisis

We continue to follow the news of the invasion in Ukraine with sadness and consternation and are here to support those affected by the conflict in any way we can. With that in mind, we hosted a webinar last week exploring possible immigration routes for those fleeing the conflict. We heard from immigration lawyers, Fragomen LLP. You can watch the recording here and  download the slides here. We have also set up a Ukraine Hub on our website, where you can find the latest information on how to support those affected by the conflict.

#LiftTheBan

As a signatory of the #LiftTheBan coalition, it is hugely disappointing that the amendment to the Government’s Nationality and Borders Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 23 March to allow asylum seekers the right to work after 6 months was unsuccessful. This is despite  support from a number of tory MPs and Peers in recent weeks. Ministers will meet with those outvoted to discuss their concerns in the coming weeks. The REC will regroup with the coalition in the coming days and will keep members informed of any future work on this.

The REC writes to the Health Minister on the updated price cards

We are aware of REC healthcare members’ concern and frustration on the delayed publication of updated price cards for NHS agency workers in England. And the REC has been seeking an update and clarification for many months since the pay increase was announced. The latest information is that NHSE/I has finalised the new rate and updated price cards are due to be published shortly. Our members will hear from framework operators soon. Separately, the REC has reached out to the Health Minister this week. You can view our letter here, which seeks the reason behind the significant delay and urges for an overall review into price caps and frameworks.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Roundtable
As part of our partnership with DWP, the Department is keen to understand how the recruitment industry can work with Job Centres to support people into work. We will be hosting a virtual roundtable with DWP for members interested in this on 26^th April at 2pm. If you’re interested in joining, please get in touch with our Director of Campaigns, Shazia Ejaz on Shazia.Ejaz@rec.uk.com.

Legal and Compliance Webinar

The REC legal team are hosting a webinar at 10am on 30^th March to discuss the latest legal developments, including digital right to work and DBS changes, the latest COVID updates and other legal changes coming up from April 2022. Featuring guest speakers from the Home Office and DBS to discuss these topics in depth, this webinar covers all the essential legal and compliance updates for REC members. To register for the event click here.

We also have sector specific webinars for the Drivers and Construction sectors coming up. These will cover industry specific updates and news for members operating in these sectors.

REC Media Watch

Neil appeared as a guest on the most recent episode of BBC Radio 4’s documentary on the history of pay. Covering the ups and downs of the politics of pay in Britain since 2008, the full episode can be found here.

Research Corner

The REC’s latest JobsOutlook showed that in the three months to February, business confidence in the UK economy fell by two percentage points to net: -7. In February alone, the sentiment turned negative again amidst wider economic uncertainty. In contrast, employer confidence in making hiring and investment decisions remained positive at net: +13.