Coronavirus: Disease Control

(asked on 23rd June 2020) - View Source

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral contribution of the Prime Minister on 10 June 2020 Official Report, column 281, what progress the Government has made on providing support to newly shielding people who are not eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.


Answered by
Jesse Norman Portrait
Jesse Norman
This question was answered on 29th June 2020

On 22 June, the Prime Minister set out a series of steps to relax further the current public health guidance for those identified as clinically extremely vulnerable to shield at home. This means from 1 August they will be able to return to work if they are unable to work from home, provided their workplace is COVID-safe.

The Government is asking employers to work with it in order to ease the transition back to a more normal way of life for their clinically extremely vulnerable employees. It is important that this group continue to take careful precautions, and employers should do all they can to enable them to work from home where this is possible, including moving them to another role if required. Where this is not possible, those who have been shielding should be provided with the safest onsite roles that enable them to maintain social distancing from others.

If employers cannot provide a safe working environment, the clinically extremely vulnerable will continue to have access to an unprecedented package of financial support. This is not limited to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but also includes changes to Statutory Sick Pay to make it payable from day one, the introduction of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and an increase in the generosity of welfare payments worth a further £8bn.

The Government will continue looking at what support is required for the clinically extremely vulnerable population as the public health guidance changes.

Reticulating Splines