Following announcements in the Budget, the Department for Work
and Pensions is making temporary arrangements to support those
impacted by coronavirus.
Changes to jobcentre appointments (19 March 2020)
People receiving benefits do not have to attend jobcentre
appointments for at least 3 months, starting from Thursday 19
March 2020. People will continue to receive their benefits as
normal, but all requirements to attend the jobcentre in person
are suspended.
People can still make applications for benefits online if they
are eligible.
Jobcentres remain open, and will continue to support people who
are not able to use phones and online, including homeless people.
For people already claiming support
Special arrangements will be in place for people in receipt of
benefits who cannot attend reassessments or jobcentre
appointments because they are required to stay at home or are
infected by coronavirus.
The arrangements are:
- disabled and sick claimants who cannot attend a reassessment
for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and
Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal
Credit will continue to receive their payments while their
assessment is rearranged
- people who need to claim ESA or Universal
Credit because of coronavirus will not be required to produce a
fit note.
- when claimants tell us in good time that they are staying at
home or that they have been diagnosed with coronavirus, they will
not be sanctioned – we will review their conditionality
requirements in their claimant commitment, to ensure they are
reasonable
- claimants who are staying at home as a result of coronavirus
will have their mandatory work search and work availability
requirements removed to account for a period of sickness
For people who need to make a new claim for financial support
We understand people who are required to stay at home or are
infected by coronavirus may need financial support, and quickly.
We announce that:
- those affected by coronavirus will be able to apply for
Universal Credit and can receive up to a month’s advance up front
without physically attending a jobcentre
- the 7 waiting days for ESA for new
claimants will not apply if they are suffering from coronavirus
or are required to stay at home – so it will be payable from day
one
Employees and self-employed people
To make sure people in work can take the necessary time off to
stay at home if they are suffering from coronavirus or to prevent
its spread, changes have been made to Statutory Sick Pay and how
Universal Credit supports self-employed claimants.
This includes:
- people who cannot work due to coronavirus and are eligible
for Statutory Sick Pay will get it from day one, rather than from
the fourth day of their illness – we intend to legislate so this
measure applies retrospectively from 13 March 2020
- Statutory Sick Pay will be payable to people who are staying
at home on government advice, not just those who are infected,
from 13 March 2020 after regulations were laid on 12 March 2020 –
employers are urged to use their discretion about what evidence,
if any, they ask for
- if employees need to provide evidence to their employer that
they need to stay at home due to coronavirus, they will be able
to get it from the NHS 111 Online instead of having to get a fit
note from their doctor – this is currently under development and
will be made available soon
- self-employed claimants on Universal Credit who are required
to stay at home or are ill as a result of coronavirus will not
have a Minimum Income Floor (an assumed level of income) applied
for a period of time while affected
Businesses
The government wants to ensure businesses are supported to deal
with the temporary economic impacts of an outbreak of
coronavirus.
Employers with fewer than 250 employees will be able to reclaim
Statutory Sick Pay for employees unable to work because of
coronavirus. This refund will be for up to 2 weeks per employee.
Find out about other government support
for businesses.
