Some furloughed workers do not want to return, Andrea Leadsom says

Dame Andrea Leadsom: She says bosses can't get staff back because people have become used to being on furlough

Some people on furlough are avoiding a return to work because it has been "great" for them, former business secretary Dame Andrea Leadsom has said.

She said there were some who did not want to go back because they have a garden, have "great vegetables growing" and have been able to go walking.

But the Conservative MP said there was also a mental health issue about some people fearful of going back.

The furlough scheme has helped pay millions of wages during the pandemic.

A total of 11.5 million jobs have been supported by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and there were 3.4 million people on furlough as of 30 April, according to the latest statistics.

There were 5.1 million people on furlough in January.

• What are the rules for furlough?

• Firms can put self-isolating staff on furlough

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Any Questions, Dame Andrea said: "For some people they're just terrified, so it's like, 'I've been on furlough for so long I really can't quite face going back to the office' and employers are rightly saying, 'well, you need to'.

"So there's that issue, the mental health issue, the fear of it.

"For other people, it's like, 'well actually being on furlough in lockdown has been great for me - I've got a garden, I've been able to go out walking every day, I've got great vegetables growing, I don't really want to go back to work, maybe I'll think about part-time or I'm going to retire early'."

She said some businesses in her constituency "simply can't get people to come back to work", saying: "They can't get staff because people have, to be perfectly frank, become used to being on furlough".

The issues "have very real consequences for our economy", Dame Andrea said.

"If we can't get our economy to bounce back then we can't start to pay this huge bill that we've already incurred for this lockdown, and that's critical at this point."

The furlough scheme covers up to 80% of an employee's salary for the hours they cannot work, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.

As the economy opens up over the summer, employers who use the scheme have to start paying into it but workers will still receive up to 80% of their pay packet for hours they can't work. The scheme ends on 30 September.

Dame Andrea said on Thursday it was "disappointing that some staff on furlough have taken on second jobs and then resigned when invited back to work".

She said she asked Steve Barclay, chief secretary to the Treasury, in the House of Commons what could be done to protect the taxpayer from "furlough gaming" and how businesses could be protected.

Replying, Mr Barclay said it was a "very important and legitimate point", saying: "In terms of the design of the furlough scheme it was designed to operate within the employment law framework, so an employee is able to have a second job whilst on the furlough, providing this is allowed within the terms of their existing employment contract.

"But I appreciate the spirit of the point she is raising."