Lockdown Lifeline: Ensuring adequate support across the benefits system during the Covid-19 pandemic
Coronavirus has had a sudden and unprecedented impact on people’s jobs and incomes. The Government has acted quickly to improve the processing of benefit claims and increase support in parts of the system – but further urgent measures are needed to fill ongoing gaps and help shore up people’s incomes in the coming weeks.
The scale of the impact coronavirus will likely have on people’s lives means it’s vital we now build upon these changes to ensure the right support is in place for all groups. This includes those facing a temporary income shock, but also groups who risk facing longer-term and more severe economic detriment. The need to act becomes all the more critical as the existing measures introduced to protect people’s finances gradually come to an end.
In Lockdown Lifeline, we outline changes to the benefits system required across three areas:
- Widening eligibility and access to the benefits system to ensure everyone who needs support can access it
- Immediate measures to help ensure adequate support across the benefits system
- Reviewing support for groups who risk facing a disproportionate impact due to coronavirus