With countless families facing serious financial hardship as a result of the devastating impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the Liberal Democrats are calling for a people-first plan to protect jobs and to ensure no-one is left behind. This includes:
* Protect Jobs and Livelihoods: the vaccine is being rolled out but the economic consequences of this pandemic will continue. To give people and businesses certainty, the furlough scheme must be extended to June 2021, be made available to the three million taxpayers that have so far been excluded from any help, and the £20 a week temporary increase given to Universal Credit claimants must be extended.
* Support Children in Low-Income Households: No child should go hungry; access to Free School Meals must be extended to every pupil whose parents or guardians are in receipt of Universal Credit and every pupil must be provided with a laptop or tablet to ensure that they do not fall behind if they are not able to go to school.
* Scrap the Public Sector Pay Freeze: In a year when our NHS and care staff, teachers, police officers and many others have gone beyond the call of duty, when they have worked on the frontline throughout the pandemic putting their lives on the line, they deserve a fair pay settlement that reflects their contribution to responding to the pandemic.