Job Retention Scheme must be urgently extended to carers – John McDonnell

John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, responding to the IPPR report 'Children of the Pandemic', said:

“The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme must be urgently extended to carers taking time out of work to take on caring responsibilities, and to those working reduced hours, as Labour has recommended.

“It is also imperative that the Government acts, as the IPPR argues, to boost social security and take a lead in extending internet access to the one million children and families without a device or connectivity, as well as all those who need internet access for online learning.

“The Government should give urgent consideration to this IPPR report, as well as the five practical changes that Labour has proposed to the Government's existing schemes.”

Ends

Notes to Editors:

• The IPPR's report is online here: https://www.ippr.org/files/2020-03/1585586431_children-of-the-pandemic.pdf

• Labour has set out five deliverable changes to the Government's existing scheme, relating to the Job Retention Scheme, Statutory Sick Pay, benefits, rents and utilities, and the self-employed, in a report entitled 'Protecting People In and Out of Work': https://www.john-mcdonnell.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/157/2020/03/Protecting-People-In-and-Out-of-Work-30-March-final.pdf. Labour called in that report for the Job Retention Scheme to be extended to people working reduced hours.

• Labour called in an earlier report, 'Wages, Welfare, and Wellbeing', for an income protection scheme to include carers: https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Labour’s-Economic-Plan-for-Individuals-Affected-By-Coronavirus-Final.pdfcarers