FAQ's

1. How will my grant be paid to me?

Source - last updated 27 October 2020.

"DWP will send the funding to the Kickstart Scheme gateway. They will be responsible for sending the funding to you.

£1,500 per job placement

You need to tell your Kickstart gateway when the young person starts their job placement. They can then send you the £1,500 setup costs.

If you get someone else to do some of the job placement setup and employability support for you, such as your Kickstart gateway, you’ll have to agree how you will share this money.

Kickstart Scheme wages and related costs

DWP will use information from HMRC to check that the young person is still employed. The grant funding to pay the young person’s salary will be paid in monthly arrears when we know they are:

  • enrolled on your payroll

  • being paid through Pay As You Earn (PAYE)

You can pay a higher wage and for more hours but the funding will not cover this."


2. What are the training packages offered by Springboard, and how do we pay for it?

On top of the grant you will receive for your employee’s wages, the Government will also award you with £1,500 for each successfully hired Kickstart employee. This funding is to be used to support the required training and development of your Kickstart employees (inc. employability, teamwork and timekeeping), cover administration fees, purchase uniforms/PPE, travel costs and generally to set them up for success. Your spending on this training will need to be proved with invoices/receipts and checked by HMRC/DWP at the end of the next tax year.


Our application & employability partner, Springboard, offers support for utilising this Kickstart training fund.


Employability training - £699 per person (from £1500 described above).

Using a blend of digital classroom and e-learning, Springboard’s tried and tested methods will give your young person the best chance to shine in their role and apply for other work once the placement ends. This includes:


  • CV writing skills and LinkedIn profile creation

  • Career goal setting

  • Interview skills & practice

  • Teamwork and timekeeping essentials

If you require additional training or services, we recommend you contact Bhavna Patel at Springboard to arrange a more bespoke package. Springboard also offer training which covers Recruitment Services, Hospitality Training and Mentoring. They have a range of virtual workshops, e-learning modules and additional support to create a tailored package based on your business needs.


3. Can we still go through this process even though we don't want to use Springboard's training services?

Yes, if you feel your own current internal training covers the mandated government elements (CV building, interview skills, goal setting, teamwork basics, time management basics) then you can use your own training only.

Our suggestion would be to utilise the training provided by HospitalityUnite and Springboard to cover the required elements of training (noted above) and then add more with your usual onboarding and induction training and on the job development.

4. Is there a limit on how many jobs you can create, can I make 1000 jobs?

No, there is currently no limit.

However, do consider the key question of how your jobs would not exist without Kickstart. Remember your responses are reviewed by a government advisory board when you apply for the grant, and applying for an excessive amount of jobs may not be reviewed well. For example, Google & EY are only hiring 50 in London to start in November and will take it from there.

5. Is it only for hourly or can I create a job for a salaried employee?

You can create the job for any type of employee you wish at any rate or number of hours. Be aware only the first 25 hours, at national minimum wage, will be paid. NI and pension contributions are also covered by the Government grant.

If you decide (like many businesses are) to top up hours to a full-time contract, i.e. 45 hours, then you will have to pay the remaining difference in hours at the wage you’ve decided is right for that role.

6. When is the deadline for the applications?

Currently, the scheme is running until the end of 2021 with no ‘close date’ provided in any documentation or announcements from the DWP or on Gov.uk

Our expectation is that applications will close around April 2021 (allowing 1 month for processing then 6 months of placement) but we will confirm dates once the DWP announces them.

7. Can I post through Harri but direct them to my ATS?

Currently, we are unable to offer this option. To provide you with the best possible experience we ask that you utilise Harri’s talent technology to recruit and train your Kickstart employees.

8. If I advertise 6 jobs and I want to remove 1 whilst this scheme is going on will this affect my grant?

No.

When your grant application is approved, its for the total number of jobs supplied in the application form. Once you hire those employees HMRC and DWP communicate to establish this is an approved young person and then the grant is awarded. If you only hire 5 out of 6, this will not affect the grant, as it is given on a placement basis not as a lump sum.

9. How will the JobCentre receive my jobs? Are you engaging with the JobCentre on a regular basis?

All Kickstart jobs approved by DWP, will be posted to the HU portal which will be visible to Job Coaches (aka. JobCentre Employees) when they search for key terms within hospitality (e.g. waiter, kitchen, cook etc) or for jobs for young people (due to our partnership with The Youth Group who is one of only 2 youth preferred employer portals for the JobCentre).

In partnership with SpringBoard, we’ll be networking with JobCentre employees to make sure they understand the benefits of a hospitality career and also that they can effectively talk about your jobs to at-risk young people who will be first in the queue for Kickstart roles.


10. If a young person isn’t the right fit for us or is not performing can they be terminated before the end of the 6 months?

Performance management is expected to take place as part of the young person’s Kickstart placement if they are not performing this should be documented and handled in the usual manner as dictated by business processes. If you terminate the Kickstart employees placement, the JobCentre coach will be in touch to find out more about their performance issues and get feedback to help this young person further.

If the candidate hands in their notice, you process this as a usual leaver. Your grant would be paid up until the final working day/date.