BRITS are finally set to be free of all Covid rules after Boris Johnson ripped them up – but here’s how it could affect your finances.
The PM revealed his “plan for living with Covid” ending two years of lockdowns, isolation and testing.
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He said Brits no longer have to self-isolate from Thursday and can carry on with their daily lives – even if they have Covid.
Mr Johnson told MPs in the Commons: “Let us learn to live with us protecting ourselves and others without restricting our freedoms.”
But his blueprint for living life after the pandemic could hit your purse – we explain all you need to know.
Changes to sick pay
During the Covid crisis, workers who were self-isolating and eligible for Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) were able to get paid from day one.
But this will change on March 24.
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After this point, those sick with Covid will have to wait until the fourth day of being ill before they can get Statutory Sick Pay (SSP), which is £96.35 per week.
It means you’ll lose out on cash to help you get by if you fall ill with the virus.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said this shake-up will mean workers can’t afford to take time off, and end up going into work sick.
“The failure to provide decent sick pay to all, from the first day of illness, is reckless and self-defeating,” he said.
“If people can’t afford to stay home when they’re sick, they will take their infections into work.”
End to £500 self-isolation payment
Hard-up Brits were able to get a £500 pay out to help them pay for bills if they were self isolating due to Covid.
You were able to get the cash by applying for it through your local council if you were on a low income and:
- employed or self-employed
- you, or a child you’re the parent or guardian of, tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), or were told you or the child were a close contact by NHS Test and Trace
- you could not work from home and would lose income by self-isolating or staying at home to care for the child
But this was scrapped by Boris under his new plan.
It means that from Thursday (February 24), you won’t be able to get the cash help for bills.
If you are struggling to pay your way if you have Covid after this point, you can apply to other help schemes through your local council.
The welfare assistance scheme means Brits can claim up to £1,000 in help paying for food, furniture, bills and more.
While the Household Support Fund means you can get hundreds of pounds in free cash to help you get by depending on who is your local council.
But as many councils have until the end of March only to dish out funds, it means you only have a matter of weeks to apply for the help.
No more free Covid tests
Households will no longer be able to get free Covid test kits from April 1.
That’s because it cost the government an eye-watering £15.7billion this financial year, and £2billion in January alone when Omicron cases spiked.
Instead, you’ll have to pay for your tests – although some elderly and vulnerable people will be eligible for free swabs.
The government hopes to keep the cost of tests below £20 but the exact price has not been confirmed yet.
But the MS Society said the scrapping of free universal testing was “not only reckless but dangerous” for vulnerable Brits.
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