A "deep injustice" and a "travesty on a biblical scale" Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram
Salford has 273 new confirmed cases of coronavirus bringing the cumulative total to 11,199. It's the highest figure for four days. The seven day average of cases also rose slightly from 1,384 to 1,389, as did the seven day rate per 100,000 population which rose from 534.7 to 536.6.
Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, cases in Manchester during the latest seven day data period were 2,402 (up from 2,329), with a rate of 434.5 (up from 421.3), followed by Bolton with 1,490 (down from 1,526), with a rate of 518.2 (down from 530.7) and Oldham 1,773 (up from 1,737), with a rate of 747.8 (up from 732.6).
Wigan has 1,899 (down from 1,906), with a rate of 577.8 (down from 579.9), Tameside 1,062 (up from 1,030), with a rate of 468.9 (up from 454.8), Rochdale 1,332 (up from 1,294), with a rate of 598.9 (up from 581.8), Stockport 1,094 (up from 1,069), with a rate of 372.8 (up from 364.3), Bury 1,095 (up from 1,084), with a rate of 573.3 (up from 567.6) and Trafford 950 (up from 948), with a rate of 400.2 (up from 399.4).
There were three new virus-related deaths announced by Salford Royal Hospital.
Meanwhile, last night, a public press call was held on Zoom, drawing attention to the ExcludedUK campaign to help the three million people in England, and 147,500 in Greater Manchester who have been excluded from financial support by the Government during the coronavirus crisis.
Ordinary people from all walks of life who are not rich but newly self employed, freelancers, company directors, and those with a mix of self employment and PAYE told of the emotional and financial horrors of living off virtually nothing for months.
Sonali Joshi of ExcludedUK gave a long list of those who are not eligible for financial support... "From beauticians to dog walkers, charity workers, construction workers, nurses, teachers and more" she recounted, adding that she'd seen thousands of testimonies from those affected illustrating "escalating financial hardship, mounting debt and an increasingly severe mental health crisis with a knock-on effect on children, education, single parents, families and beyond...Urgent redress is vital".
Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram called it a "deep injustice" and a "travesty on a biblical scale", while Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham slated the Government's stance as "unforgiveable" and "an injustice on a major scale".
There was Jennifer, a newly self-employed child minder with two young children who gets no support at all, and is struggling to make ends meet from just her partner's income...
"We're just trying to limit the amount of debt we're getting into" she said, close to tears "It's really difficult seeing other people get that support and you don't get anything yourself. It's difficult to deal with emotionally and it has had a big impact on my mental health as well...
"After seven months of no income I don't think there's been one night when I haven't woken up having panic attacks" she added "We really don't understand why, as tax payers, we've been excluded...it doesn't seem fair...it leaves you with a lot of awful feelings to deal with..."
Theatre and TV freelancer Rebecca got taxed at source by her employers but hasn't worked for eight months... "I've had to go to charities and say 'Can I have some money to buy food?'". She's had issues with sleep and mental health... "What can we do?" she asked.
Helen, a mum of two and chartered surveyor, was denied furlough by an employer, and then made redundant in the same week she received a shielding letter for her six year old son who has a lung condition. She wasn't put on statutory sick pay, or any other kind of support or benefits... "I've been excluded for eight months" she said.
Marc has a company within the wedding and events industry... "We have been completely left in the lurch" he explained, adding that he'd had to make three staff redundant. After three attempts he got a hospitality grant but generally has had no support, seeing his turnover fall from £750,000 to £35,000 during the crisis.
With no proper weddings allowed, the company has no proper income but as the business has not been closed down by the Government, it does not qualify for any other grants. He is also a director and gets no support for that, and hasn't taken a salary for the last eight months, he said, but can't close the business as that would be letting down hundreds of brides who have re-booked.
Marie, a freelance engineer who is a director of her own company, is excluded from support, as is her husband, an agency worker who fell foul of the 50-50 rule, sometimes on PAYE and sometimes self employed. She has had some work but has not been able to furlough herself as most of her pay comes via dividends which she pays tax on...
"The feeling of not being part of the community because the Government don't deem us worthy of any support is crushing" she said "...We're having to spend all our savings on just having to survive. I don't know what's round the corner."
Anthony does book events; telling stories, dressing up as fictional characters and selling books mainly through schools, libraries and festivals which has all stopped, with £15,000 worth of books hanging around his house unsold. He was told by his local authority to set up a limited company for 'account transparency' and now has had no financial support, even though he has to keep paying for three insurance policies...
"Everyone should be treated fairly" he said "If you can give £2,500 per month furlough, which is free money, to someone to stay at home and watch Netflix and tidy their garden and paint their house why can't the rest of us get £200 a week to see us over a difficult time?...We've nothing. We're being treated like outcasts and pariahs when none of us have done anything wrong...We've got people down in London who do not seem to care or understand whatsoever about ordinary people.
"I've done what I've done for 33 years" he added "The public needs to know what's going on. Some of my friends still think we're moaners and are making this up...I wake up at 2am having panic attacks..."
Other people spoke of "desperation", having £1 in the bank and using food banks to survive...
"We've heard that some people have taken their own lives, so this needs a campaign that can start with every single person writing to their MPs, who need to be speaking up on their behalf" said Steve Rotheram, who slated the Government's stock answer of pushing statistics on how much finance has been given away..."If people can't access it, it is all academic and we need more people to understand that you have been left behind and let down" he added.
Andy Burnham said these people are "the heartbeat of the economy; employers, tax payers, good citizens...and yet in many ways just ignored", adding that they need help now...
He called for MPs to step up, listen to their constituents and take the stories into Parliament... "We need to see a meaningful debate on this issue and the exclusion of three million fellow citizens from support. You cannot leave people like this frozen out in the cold."
If there isn't progress, Burnham didn't rule out legal action, which he has implied before... "It's discrimination, for no good reason other than the way you make your living" he explained "There's no other explanation..."
The Government could be challenged legally on equality and discrimination grounds..."That could take months or years but people are desperate now" Rotheram concluded...
For more information on Excluded UK see the Facebook group – click here or the website www.excludeduk.org
Main photo shows Marie
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