Coronavirus: Disease Control

(asked on 27th November 2020) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 14 July 2020 to Question 71800 on Government Assistance: Coronavirus, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) people and (b) businesses not eligible for any of the Government's financial support packages during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Kemi Badenoch Portrait
Kemi Badenoch
President of the Board of Trade
This question was answered on 4th December 2020

The Government has provided a comprehensive economic response that is one of the most generous globally, taking unprecedented steps to support individuals, businesses and the most vulnerable. As well as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), this package includes a suite of government-backed loans and grants to businesses, tax deferrals, and a moratorium on commercial tenant evictions.

This comprehensive package also includes extra funding for the welfare safety net, to get us through the outbreak and help those unable to access other forms of support. The temporary welfare measures include increases to Universal Credit and Local Housing Allowance, a relaxation of the Universal Credit minimum income floor, making Statutory Sick Pay easier to access, and providing £500 payments to self-isolate for those on low incomes who can’t work from home

However, the government also recognises that our economy is changing, and so existing schemes provide an appropriate route for employees to access high-quality training and prepare individuals for jobs of the future. That is why at the Spending Review last week, the Chancellor announced an additional £3.7 billion to build on the commitments made in the Plan for Jobs.

The government has put in place an economic package of support which will provide businesses and individuals with certainty over the Winter months, even as measures to prevent further spread of the virus change. We continue to take a flexible approach and keep all impacts and policies under review.

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