Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential merits of providing financial support for severely immunocompromised people who need to continue shielding and are unable to return safely to the workplace.

There have been no specific discussions. The national shielding programme closed on the 15 September 2021. On 4 April 2022, updated guidance was issued for those whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness from COVID-19. The guidance is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-people-whose-immune-system-means-they-are-at-higher-risk