Thread by @SteveBakerHW

A thread which details the Government’s welfare response during the coronavirus outbreak 👇

Claimants of Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit now receive around £20 more a week and the amount available to support private renters has increased

Changes were made to Statutory Sick Pay, sickness and carer benefits in order to help people follow public health guidelines

Nearly all face-to-face interactions with Jobcentre staff and assessors were suspended, and disability benefit reassessments were paused

£170 million Covid Winter Grant Scheme to support children, families and the most vulnerable over winter

Holiday Activities and Food programme to be expanded, covering Easter, Summer and Christmas in 2021

Healthy Start payments set to rise from £3.10 to £4.25 a week from April 2021

The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has been extended until the end of April 2021 with the Government continuing to contribute 80% towards wages. Furlough has kept over 9 million people in their jobs

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24-year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment

Mortgage holidays and an eviction moratorium have helped keep people in their homes and £180 million funding has been provided for Discretionary Housing Payments to support renters, for local authorities in England and Wales, to distribute

A £500 lump sum support payment can be claimed by people on low incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result of self-isolating in England.

Local authorities will make these payments; for those in Wycombe – contact @BucksCouncil

buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/co…

@BucksCouncil £4.6 billion in new lockdown grants to support businesses and protect jobs

https://twitter.com/SteveBakerHW/status/1346428937040179200