Mayor Andy Burnham responds to new Government payments for people self-isolating

Government has announced its intention to financially support certain people asked by NHS Track and Trace to self-isolate, if they live in Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle or Oldham.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has repeatedly called for the introduction of such a scheme. He said: “I have been calling for weeks for the Government to provide financial support for those asked to self-isolate. I am pleased they have at last acknowledged this issue but am sorry to say this move goes nowhere near far enough.

“The Health Secretary has already said that he couldn’t live on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) at £95 a week. So how can an announcement like this work?

“For many workers in Greater Manchester, this will not provide the support people need to cooperate with NHS Test and Trace. Having belatedly acknowledged that something needs to be done, Government must now accept the calls of the ‘Time Out to Help Out’ campaign and support people across the country to self-isolate on full pay.

“For us to get a grip on this virus before we head into a winter without a vaccine, the vast majority of those contacted by national Test and Trace need to be able to self-isolate immediately and not worry about loss of earnings or, worse, losing a job. Quite simply, these measures are not good enough.”

Article Published: 27/08/2020 09:19 AM