On 8th July in Parliament Gerald Jones, Labour MP for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, called for urgent action from the UK Government to support the 3 million people who have been left out of its coronavirus financial support schemes.
While the Government’s furlough and other schemes have provided crucial financial support to many, there are still as many as three million people who are missing out on their incomes due to falling through the gaps of the schemes, including those who were new starters in late March, freelancers and self-employed people.
In a debate on the economy on 8th July, Gerald called on the Chancellor to commit to revise the schemes immediately to ensure nobody affected by the pandemic is unfairly excluded from the support, and bring forward support for people who are required to self-isolate and don’t qualify for statutory sick pay.
Speaking in Parliament, Gerald said:
“In his statement, the Chancellor said to businesses, ‘if you stand by your workers, we will stand by you’, but he needs to stand by those who are excluded, such as new starters, freelancers and the self-employed people who have fallen through the gaps in the current schemes.
“There are businesses in my constituency and across the country that are suffering and may never recover if the financial support they need is not forthcoming. I urge the Government to commit to revisiting the parameters of the schemes now, so that nobody affected will miss out during these most difficult times.”