Oral Answers to Questions

Gerald Jones Excerpts

Monday 30th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Margaret Greenwood (Wirral West) (Lab)]

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of statutory sick pay during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney) (Lab)]

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of statutory sick pay during the covid-19 outbreak.

[Emma Hardy (Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle) (Lab)]

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of statutory sick pay during the covid-19 outbreak.

--- Later in debate ---

[Justin Tomlinson]

Those required to stay at home by NHS Test and Trace could be eligible for the additional £500 of financial support if they are on UC, working tax credits, employment and support allowance, jobseeker’s allowance, income support, housing benefit or pension credit, and that is just part of our wider targeted welfare safety net.

[Gerald Jones [V]]

For testing and tracing to work effectively, people need the reassurance that they will be able to feed their families. Statutory sick pay is not adequate to support people who need to self-isolate, so will the Minister give us hope that the Government will provide the necessary support to allow people not to have to choose between their health and their livelihoods?

[Justin Tomlinson]

The hon. Member is right to highlight the importance of this matter, and that is why statutory sick pay is part of the wider targeted financial support that we offer. Depending on eligibility for individual households, they could also get support through universal credit, new-style ESA or the self-employed income support scheme.