Queen’s University Belfast claimed £1,013,559 between March and August this year as part of the government furlough scheme, according to figures obtained by The Scoop.

QUB announced in May that they would be accessing the furlough scheme, claiming that this would “only apply to a limited number of staff in a small number of areas”. The BBC understood at the time that 200 staff would be furloughed. However, the true number is nearly 75% higher as 349 staff were placed on the scheme during this period.

This is despite the majority of Queen’s 2019-2020 income, in the form of tuition fees and recurrent government grants, having likely been unaffected by the pandemic. The consolidated Queen’s University Group holds total reserves of over £527 million and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian Greer, receives a salary of nearly £300,000 a year. The University’s 2020-2021 income, however, could take a considerable hit as many prospective students may have decided to defer their studies.

In separate communication with staff in May, the university registrar Joanne Clague said, "Currently, we have taken the decision to pay all our furloughed employees on their normal monthly salary”. This means that QUB continued to pay 20% of the income of furloughed staff.

A spokesperson for Queen’s University Belfast told The Scoop last week that, “A small proportion of staff who were not able to perform their duties whilst public health restrictions were in place were furloughed. Some staff were furloughed for only a short period whilst others remain on furlough until 31st October. All furloughed staff received their full salary.”

The furlough scheme, which has been extended to the end of October, will soon be replaced by a new Job Support Scheme. This means that Queen’s will likely claim a considerably higher total amount as the pandemic continues.

Thomas Copeland, Head of News.

NEWS - QUB claimed over £1 million in furlough cash this summer