Alison Thewliss MP has said that the UK government must look to strengthen and address serious gaps in support, rather than rolling back and winding down schemes.
It comes after reports that the UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak (pictured) plans to wind down the UK government’s coronavirus job retention scheme, and after the Health Secretary also said that the UK government must “wean off” struggling businesses from the scheme.
Commenting, Alison Thewliss MP said:
“Rather than rolling back and winding down the government’s job retention scheme, the Chancellor must instead look to strengthen the measures and address the gaps in support so no one is left behind or pushed further into hardship.
“Businesses have been hit hard by this pandemic, and many are facing an uncertain financial future.
“For the Health Secretary to talk about weaning off struggling businesses is deeply concerning.
“With HMRC revealing that over 800,000 companies – over 6 million workers – are applying to use the scheme, it’s vital the UK government does not take premature steps to wind down measures.
“The SNP has been clear from the start of the crisis that the UK government must go further in its support, including introducing a comprehensive financial package to help people in their time of need – looking again at bringing forward a guaranteed minimum income and strengthening welfare protections.”
