UK government to offer families of health and social care workers who die of coronavirus £60,000 one-off support payment
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The UK government is to establish a life assurance scheme that will pay out £60,000 to the families of frontline workers who die in the course of performing their duties.
The move was announced by Matt Hancock, the UK health secretary, at the Downing Street briefing as he revealed that 98 NHS and social care staff died due to virus.
The scheme he acknowledged could never replace a lost loved one but it is hoped that it would support the grieving families when they may need it most.
He said: “We must never lose sight of the human cost of coronavirus and the pain and the grief that it causes and each death serves as a reminder that we must stand firm in our resolve.
“Sadly these deaths include 82 NHS colleagues and 16 colleagues who work in social care. They dedicated their lives to caring for others and I feel a deep personal sense of duty that we must care for their loved ones today.
“I'm able to announce that the government is setting up a life assurance scheme for NHS and social care frontline colleagues – families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential frontline will receive a £60,000 payment.
“Of course nothing replaces the loss of a loved one but we want to do everything that we can to support families who are dealing with this grief.
“As a government we're looking closely at other professions that work on the front line against coronavirus who also do not have access to such schemes see where this may be required.”
