The UK government’s responses to the coronavirus crisis so far has created a clear divide between those who are protected by the new income protection schemes, and those who are not.
Those qualifying will be protected under the government’s Job Retention Scheme (JRS) for employees and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) for the self-employed, which protects 80% of incomes up to £2,500 per month. But millions are not protected under these schemes, or must wait months until this support arrives.
And it is the most vulnerable with the fewest savings – low paid, precarious workers, who are least likely to have their incomes protected. Recent research has found that 5.6 million workers are at high risk of losing their jobs and being unable to access government support schemes.
