Statement in support of sick pay for people self-isolating due to coronavirus (12 August 2020)

12 August 2020

Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader of Preston City Council, said:

"It is vital that UK workers are supported financially if requested to self-isolate due to coronavirus.

Not everyone is able to carry out their job from home and many fear the repercussions on their job and their livelihood by doing the right thing and self-isolating when requested. 

"At £95.85 per week statutory sick pay is a significant drop in income for many people and not sufficient to support families, forcing people to choose between self-isolating and putting food on the table. 

If we are serious about tackling one of the potential hurdles to keep our community safe we must remove barriers that hold people back to self-isolate.  

"Therefore we are backing the campaign from the Mayors of Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester and the TUC to allow people the financial security to self-isolate if requested. Only by doing this will our test and trace system achieve its aims and help tackle this virus."

More information

The 'Time to Help Out' campaign was launched by the Mayors of Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester and the TUC.