Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme of supporting beyond October 2020 people (a) who have been advised by their doctor to stay at home and (b) whose workplace is not covid-19-safe.

After eight months of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), the scheme will close in October 2020. The CJRS must be temporary and the Government must ensure that people can get back to work when it is safe to do so and get the UK economy up and running again. As the economy re-opens, the Government must look at how to adjust support in a way that ensures people can get back to work, protecting both the UK economy and livelihoods.

From 1 August the Government will further relax advice to the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, bringing it in line with the advice to those who are clinically vulnerable. In broad terms, this means that although the advice is still to stay at home as much as possible, those shielding may wish to go out to more places and see more people, as long as they take particular care to minimise contact with others outside their household and follow hygiene measures. This means that if they are unable to work from home but can work on site, they should do so, provided the business is COVID-safe. 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 support is not limited to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, but also includes the Self Employment Income Support Scheme and an increase in the generosity of welfare payments worth a further £8bn.