Sunak blocked financial help for people forced to isolate during Covid pandemic

04 October 2023 , 21:53

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Rishi Sunak was Chancellor of the Exchequer to Boris Johnson at the time (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Rishi Sunak blocked help for people to isolate in the pandemic, the Covid-19 Inquiry has heard.

The then-Chancellor ignored warnings by the Government’s senior scientific and medical advisors, Sir Patrick Vallance and Sir Chris Whitty. The claim was made in Sir Patrick’s diary, which was referenced in the hearing by a lawyer for the TUC.

Counsel Sam Jacobs said that on August 21, 2020, Sir Patrick “said clearly that financial support for people self-isolating is key”. On September 7 – as infections soared – he said Sir Patrick wrote: “Chancellor blocking all notion of paying to get people to isolate despite all the evidence this will be needed.’”

Patrick Vallance, Britain's chief scientific adviser, attends a virtual press conference during the pandemic (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Some low-income staff required to self-isolate in areas with high Covid rates, who could not work from home, were entitled to top up their Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit payments.

But many workers, particularly the self-employed, went without pay if they isolated. Nathan Oswin, for the TUC, said: “We need to get to the bottom of why Rishi Sunak ignored calls from his own scientific advisers. The failure to support people to self-isolate massively undermined our public health effort.”

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The British Medical Association said Mr Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme had “confused” the public over what activities were safe. It also said the Government was “too slow” to introduce lockdowns.

And lawyer Jennifer Twite, for Save the Children UK, said lockdown rules had been “stricter for children than their parents”. The inquiry continues.

Martin Bagot