We’re aware a lot of you may be worried about how the current situation will affect your working status and finances, and we want you to know that we are here to guide you. If your working situation has been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19), here’s an overview of support measures that may be available to you:
If you are too ill to work or if you are self-isolating because of COVID-19, you could be entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP). SSP is paid by your employer – Coople, if you are a Coopler – so you will need to let us know if you are ill. There are some eligibility criteria you will need to meet, so we will need to ask a few simple questions as each case is different. We are assessing cases as quickly as we can and will confirm whether you are eligible for SSP as soon as possible. You can find out more information about SSP here.
If you do not qualify for SSP, you may still be eligible to claim benefits such as Universal Credit, a payment to help with your living costs and is paid monthly. As a result of the current situation, the government has announced that those whose work is affected by COVID-19 will be able to apply for Universal Credit and may receive up to a month’s advance upfront without physically attending a job centre. You can find out more about the eligibility criteria and how you may be able to claim it here and here.
If you are unsure which other forms of support you can turn to, you can use the anonymous, government-provided Benefits Calculator here. Please note that in order to use this service, you will need accurate information regarding your savings, income, existing benefits and pensions, outgoings and council tax bill at hand. Additionally, please note these services are only available to British or Irish citizens within the UK – those who are under 18, are students or prisoners, on strike or living outside the UK or permanently within residential or care homes will not receive accurate results.
If you are able to work, we also encourage you to read our blog article on how you can adapt your profile to find flexible work over the next few weeks, which you can find here. Whilst some sectors are inactive to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, there are still sectors that are quite busy and are relying on a steady supply of flexible workers. As a result, we encourage those who are able and actively looking for work to adapt their profiles to the demand.
Additionally, as of 23/03/20, hospitality workers may apply for a one-off COVID-19 Emergency Grant, courtesy of Hospitality Action. We encourage all our Cooplers in hospitality to apply – find out more about the grant and your eligibility here.