Low-paid, gig economy and self-employed workers will all get financial support if they stay at home due to coronavirus, Matt Hancock has signalled.
The health secretary told MPs that he would make sure that no one would be penalised for “doing the right thing” to prevent the spread of the outbreak.
His remarks, the strongest sign yet that the government will intervene directly, came ahead of a meeting on Wednesday that is expected to agree new emergency legislation to deal with the virus.
The Budget is also set to deliver key support for businesses and individuals.
Labour and trade unions such as the GMB have repeatedly demanded extra protection for the low-paid and those working in the gig economy like home food deliveries.
In the Commons on Tuesday, Labour MP Preet Gill asked Hancock to include specific proposals in his emergency legislation to help 1.8m lower paid workers by removing the lower earnings limit of £118 per week for eligibility for statutory sick pay.
Hancock replied: “We will ensure that whatever the status of people who work right across the economy, whether they are self employed, whether they are employed but work fewer than the [required] number of hours a week, everybody will ensure that they get the support so they are not penalised for doing the right thing.”
Workers who ‘self-isolate’ themselves at home for 14 days are entitled to claim £94.25 a week in statutory sick pay from their employer, even if they’re not showing symptoms.
Boris Johnson last week agreed to fast-track sick pay to allow workers to qualify for the benefit from the first day off work, not the fourth, to help contain coronavirus.
Critics pointed out that the move would still leave many workers unprotected if they had to work from home.
The Department for Work and Pensions has suggested that those ineligible for sick pay could be helped by Universal Credit, or the disability benefit Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Although giving new forms of support to the self-employed and low-paid could cost billions, Johnson himself hinted at change last week, saying “we’re going to keep all options under review” and that he was “well aware of the issue”.
Hancock also underlined new government advice recommending a ban on all but essential travel to Italy, where the country is now is total lockdown over the virus.
“Last night, Italy placed the whole country into quarantine. We have updated our travel advice. All those returning from any area of Italy must self isolate for 14 days,” he said.
In another move to combat the disease, Downing Street also revealed that it was making available a specially-designated hotel near Heathrow airport to make it easier for Italian nationals arriving in the UK to ‘self-isolate’ for 14 days.
The prime minister’s spokesman said: “Italians arriving in the UK are being given the same advice as UK nationals who are returning from Italy and that advice is provided in Italian.
“There are facilities which are available to people who need to self-isolate and they are made aware of them. We have reserved a facility which is available to anyone and some people are taking up that advice.
“There are a small number of countries for which we’ve issued travel advice which is the same or similar to Italy so it would be nationals from those countries as well.”
The Department of Health closed the hotel to the public, the Ariel Holiday Inn, to quarantine Heathrow visitors early on in the crisis. It has received arrivals from China and South Korea, but is how expected to take an influx of Italian guests.