The government has been delivering support to those in need throughout the pandemic.
So far, over £280bn has been provided in economic support to get our country through coronavirus. This includes:
- An additional £7.4bn into the welfare system to support those who need it most
- £170 million to help families with food and bills, through the Winter Grant Scheme
- £220m to support disadvantaged children with the Holiday Activities and Food programme
- 1.3m laptops, tablets, and 4G dongles to help young people learn from home and bridge the digital divide
- Increasing Healthy Start payments from £3.10 to £4.25 a week from April.
This is in addition to sector-specific support funds, for example the £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund, the 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme to help the hospitality industry... and much more.
No other country in the world has offered such a comprehensive package of support to all sectors - including furlough payments, self-employment payments, and benefits. And the government is committed to continue providing support for as long as it is needed. Chancellor Rishi Sunak will outline the next phase of the UK's Covid recovery plan in the Budget on 3rd March.
