Online fashion business run by footballer Jesse Lingard ‘claims taxpayers’ cash to furlough staff’
- Fashion website JLingz sells printed backpacks for £100 and hoodies for £45
- Lingard said to be unaware of furlough claims as source says he is investigating
- Other firms run by Jade Thirlwall and the Trump family also allegedly claimed
An online fashion business run by Jesse Lingard has reportedly claimed taxpayers’ cash to furlough staff through a state-funded scheme, despite the footballer earning more than £100,000 per week.
The clothing firm, JLingz, sells printed backpacks for £100 and hoodies for £45 while employing at least three people including the West Ham and England midfielder.
It is described as a ‘celebration of ready-to-wear streetwear with occasional limited drops,’ but according to the Sun the brand has previously posed losses of up to £250,000.
It has now been alleged the firm has claimed taxpayers’ cash through the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to furlough staff.
The CJRS, running since the first lockdown almost a year ago, is designed to help cash-strapped employers survive the lean months of the pandemic.
The clothing firm, JLingz, sells printed backpacks for £100 and hoodies for £45 while employing three people including the West Ham and England midfielder. Pictured: Jesse Lingard
An insider claimed Lingard, 28, who has a £2.8million home in Cheshire, was unaware of the furlough claim and is now investigating it.
‘The furlough scheme was meant to help small businesses, not those launched by multi-millionaires,’ a source said.
MailOnline has contacted a representative for Lingard for comment.
Lingard’s fashion business JLingz is among a series of celebrity firms alleged to have claimed cash through the state-run furlough scheme.
Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall’s firm Chain Reaction Ltd is alleged to have received furlough cash in December for the trendy Arbeia bar in South Shields, Tyneside.
Elsewhere, Trump International Golf Club Scotland Ltd is also reportedly noted as receiving support from the Government despite Donald Trump having an estimated fortune of £2billion.
It is described as a ‘celebration of ready-to-wear streetwear with occasional limited drops,’ but according to reports the brand has previously posed losses of up to £250,000. Pictured: Lingard
It has now been alleged the firm has claimed taxpayers’ cash through the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) to furlough staff
The former US President, 74, resigned as company director when he entered the White House in January 2017, with his sons Donald Jnr, 43, and Eric, 37, currently listed as directors.
It is understood the resort at Balmedie, Aberdeenshire employed 84 staff for a total of £2.1million in 2019. However, the site was £1.1million in the red that year.
John Spellar, Labour MP for Warley, said: ‘This astonishing move will raise eyebrows.
‘Donald Trump was never keen to offer a hand-up to working people but seems very keen to take a handout.’
Singer James Blunt has also claimed taxpayers cash through the government’s scheme to furlough staff, despite being worth an estimated £14.5million.
Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall’s firm Chain Reaction Ltd is alleged to have received furlough cash in December for the trendy Arbeia bar in South Shields, Tyneside. Pictured: Thirlwall
Singer James Blunt has also claimed taxpayers cash through the government’s scheme to furlough staff, despite being worth an estimated £14.5million
The You’re Beautiful musician, 46, is the sole director of pub business Blunt Trading Ltd, which has 25 employees.
He owns the gastropub the Fox and Pheasant in Chelsea, which like all bars is closed under the current coronavirus restrictions.
Publicly available documents released in January show Blunt Trading has some £430,000 in current assets.
And the former serviceman – who is as famous now for his Twitter comebacks as his music – recently laughed off claims his music royalties had run out on the social media site.
A source said: ‘It is hard times for a lot of people in a lot of industries, pub and music included.
Pippa Middleton’s billionaire husband James Matthews (the couple together in St Barts in 2019) and his Made in Chelsea star brother Spencer have both been claiming taxpayers’ money to furlough staff
‘Because the names of the companies claiming furlough money are published, people can see some surprising firms on the lists.’
The Government puts out the names of employers who claim money from the job retention scheme, but until this month the amount claimed is not revealed.
It is not clear how many of the 25 workers at the company were furloughed and how many were kept on full employment.
Pippa Middleton’s billionaire husband James Matthews and his Made in Chelsea star brother Spencer have also both been claiming taxpayers’ money to furlough staff.
Hedge fund boss James, 45, is believed to have been using the government handouts to pay the six employees of his Scottish shooting estate, Glen Affric.
Younger brother Spencer, 32, worth an estimated £3million, has furloughed staff at his start-up low alcohol drinks firm, The Clean Liquor Co, established in June 2020.
Representatives for Trump and Thirlwall were contacted for comment.
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