FAQ

Kickstart Scheme FAQ

  • Am I eligible to take part in the government kickstart scheme?

    Most employers will be eligible to participate in the scheme but there are a few pieces of criteria you must meet.

    • Your placements cannot replace existing or previously planned vacancies.

    • Must not cause existing employees, apprentices, or contractors to lose or reduce their employment.

    • Job placements must be for a minimum of 25 hours per week.

    • The vacancies are only made possible by the kickstart scheme.

    • Employers must pay at least the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage for the age group of the employee.

    • There should not be any prolonged intensive job-specific training required at the commencement of employment.

    • Employers will need to assist the employee to become more employable in the future. This should include Career Advice, Goal Setting, support with CV and Interview preparations along with developing general workplace skills – This is funded by the Government as a bounty of £1500 per Kickstart employee taken on.

  • What if the employee isn’t working out for me?

    As with any other employee you are enabled to terminate their employment in line with standard business practice.

  • If we have to terminate a Kickstart employee for any reason, do we have to return the £1,500 grant we have received

    No, you do not have to return the £1500 grant.

  • Can we replace a dismissed employee through the scheme?

    Yes, you can recruit again through the same process as the original employee.

  • If we employ a replacement kickstart employee, do we receive the £1500 grant again?

    Yes, you do. A replacement employee is treated in exactly the same way as the original employee.

  • Do we have to include the Kickstart employee on our normal payroll

    Yes, this is very important. You must add any new Kickstart employees onto your payroll as normal. The DWP will assess your payroll that is submitted at the month-end via Xero, Sage, or other online system and will reimburse your business in full for the relevant agreed amounts.

  • Are there any specifics or checks done on the training we provide the Kickstart employees

    Yes, random audits will take place to ensure that the bounty of £1500 per Kickstart employee is being used correctly for the development of the young person.

  • Are you able to help with the training we have to provide?

    Yes, we have a dedicated training team that is able to supply very cost-effective online training programmes that meet the DWP’s requirements for training. We are very aware that the training, mentoring and wraparound support offered should not be a one size fits all approach. We will ensure a training package is available that suits your business.

  • Is there a timescale that we have to work to for employing the Kickstart employees

    We are taking advance registrations currently so we are ready for when the scheme goes fully live in early 2021. Register your interest by completing our registration form here.