Video
Tory minister admits he couldn’t live on £94.25 sick pay
Matt Hancock is challenegd over coronavirus sick pay on Question Time. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant
A government minister has admitted that he would not be able to live on the allocated statutory sick pay of £94.25 a week it currently provides.
Fiona Bruce presents BBC Question Time. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant
The health secretary was challenged by TUC chief Frances O'Grady on Question Time, who pointed out that the current amount is disproportionate to the costs of living.
She asked the minister whether he could live on the amount that the government is offering workers who catch the coronavirus.
She said: 'We don't just bail out the boardrooms, we've got to bail out workers.
'Statutory sick pay, £94 a week, Matt, I think you would be the first one to say, that you couldn't live on that, I don't think any of us could.'
You may also want to watch:
The Tory MP bluntly responded 'no' when he was asked if he could get by on the amount.
It prompted presenter Fiona Bruce to ask: 'But you expect others to live on it?'
Most Read
- 1 These are the 322 Tory MPs who voted against extending free school meals to children
- 2 Priti Patel set to hand private firms £28 million in government contracts to deport asylum seekers from UK
- 3 Betty Boothroyd delivers scathing assessment of Boris Johnson's government
- 4 Michael Gove's Brexit fantasy is leading us down a perilous path
- 5 Boris Johnson 'plans to resign' in six months because he can't live on £150k salary
- 6 German MEP tells Boris Johnson he 'owes' Britons a Brexit deal as she urged a return to EU trade talks
- 7 WILL SELF: Two places where everyone knows your name
- 8 Question Time: Ex-Tory minister accused of making 'sickening' comment about free schools meals row
- 9 At the upcoming US election, Donald Trump really is toast
- 10 Brexit shambles: A stress of our own making
But Hancock insisted that the chancellor could make improvements to the total paid to workers.
'No, I think we've got to support everybody, I think we've got to support businesses to help support their staff, we want businesses to support their staff, the best thing is if people stay in employment.'
'This is a once in a century event,' he added.
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
