Conveyancing Association supports Open Letter to Chancellor asking for further changes to the Government's furlough scheme

A wide-ranging group of property interests represented by trade associations, professionals bodies and other parties have sent an Open Letter to the Chancellor calling for greater flexibility in the furlough scheme.

The letter (attached) proposes that employers should be able to move their staff in and out of furlough on a weekly basis rather than the current three-weekly basis. Because of the financial implications of having to commit to paying un-furloughed staff, and faced with uncertainty in respect of income, many employers are taking a conservative approach to bringing people back on to the payroll.

Due to the way the housing market operates with most transactions forming part of chains, it only takes delays due to lack of resources at one point in the process to cause a logjam for homebuyers and sellers in completing transactions. By amending the furlough arrangement to allow firms to bring employees in and out of furlough on a weekly basis these delays should be avoided and enable the market to run as smoothly as possible in the current circumstances.

Kate Faulkner, founder of the Home Buying and Selling Group (HBSG) commented: “The decision by the Government to re-activate the property market has been widely welcomed by all parties, not least those consumers who are desperate for a whole variety of reasons to complete their home moves. It is really important that the Government now does all that it can to ensure the smooth operation of the market, helping to minimise stress levels for many people who already feel under great pressure, particularly essential workers moving home.”

Members of the Group represent estate agents, conveyancers, valuers, surveyors, energy assessors, search companies and removers.

Attached are also a number of charts showing conveyancing pipeline business.

Download the letter to the Chancellor

Published: 26 May 2020