Income support

As elsewhere in the UK, the furlough scheme was extended to end September (employers will have to pay increased contributions from July), as was the £20/week uplift in Universal Credit. Campaigning organisations and others welcomed the extension of the UC uplift and called for the rise to be made permanent.

Call for green apprenticeships

Friends of the Earth called on the government to respond to growing youth unemployment by creating a programme of 250,000 Green Apprenticeships focused on creating woodlands, retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient and building cycle lanes, among other activities.

Right to work for asylum seekers

The Lift the Ban coalition continues to push for medical professionals regardless of legal status to be permitted to work and contribute to the fight against Covid-19 across the UK.

In Liverpool, a pilot project between John Moores University, the charity RefuAid and Merseyside NHS trusts saw 14 refugees participate in a four-week course in February to help prepare them for nursing in the UK. At the end of the programme, they were offered interviews at one of three NHS trusts. All of those interviewed were offered either a healthcare assistant position or further development opportunities such as paid placements. They have the option as well to go through the overseas registration process with the Nursing and Midwifery Council to be fully recognised as a registered nurse in the UK.