The UK is currently facing a public health emergency not seen for over 100 years. People are being told they must stay at home and not work to avoid spreading COVID 19, when they are either still forced to go into work by unscrupulous employers in conditions where they cannot keep to the social distancing rules necessary to stop spreading the virus, or because they do not have any other secure means of income. The Universal Credit system, which has always been deeply problematic, is overwhelmed and few are able to access it, and the money will not come through for five weeks for most people. The packages for both the employed and self employed are woefully inadequate. Employers are still forcing employees to work despite the promise of 80% of SSP, and the self employed will not recieved anything for three months. In the meantime people need to eat, pay their bills and may still be pressured by unscrupulous landlords. There are also many who do not qualify for either SSP or the self employment packages. They may be recently laid off due to COVID 19, or they may be part time workers or they may be sex workers. The Government has access by various agencies to the bank accounts of everyone in the UK, a Universal Basic Income could be paid to all regardless of circumstances.

There may be some who think that would mean rich people getting money they do not need and be unfair. This is small price to pay for the security of millions of people in this country, and for saving the lives of thousands, for relieving the stress on the NHS and the NHS workers. Money in people's pockets will also benefit the economy immediately, as people will spend that money, whereas money given to banks mostly stays in the banks. Rich people getting a small sum in Universal Basic Income is a sacrifice worth making to help deal with a public health emergency that will affect the world for years to come.

There are terrible stories of construction workers being forced to go to work in conditions where they cannot work safely, stories of people designated by the NHS as vulnerable and needing to quarantine for twelve weeks being told to go into work despite getting a letter from the NHS telling them not to. The SSP payments depend on the employer's willingness to pass on to their employees. The self employment packages leave many unable to qualify because people's lives are often so complicated. The Republic of Ireland is paying the self employed a flat rate of 250 Euros/week. Countries like Canada and the USA have been able to give flat rate payments in four figures to tide people over, Hong Kong gave £1,000 to everyone at the start of the crisis regardless of circumstances.

We are supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world, we should be able to give people the option of staying at home to avoid making the COVID 19 crisis much worse, people who are currently unable to take that option even though they are being told by the Government they must. The UK needs a Universal Basic Income NOW to save lives and livelihoods.