A fifth of workers who have been forced to self-isolate during the pandemic but are unable to work from home have received no sick pay or wages at all, union leaders have warned.
The TUC said ministers must urgently increase financial support for people left without any income as they follow government orders to stay at home.
A poll of over 2,200 people for the TUC suggests that two-fifths (40%) of workers say they would have to go into debt, or go into arrears on their bills, if their income dropped to £96 a week – the current level of statutory sick pay (SSP).
This number rises to nearly half (48%) for disabled workers.
It means that huge numbers of individuals and families are plunging into financial hardship if they have to self-isolate.
The TUC poll also found that a fifth (21%) of self-isolating workers had to raid their savings, while one in 10 (10%) struggled to cover bills or had to go into debt.
Low-income workers (one in seven) were more likely than middle and higher earners (one in 12) to have to self-isolate without being able to work from home.
The TUC said that the UK currently has one of the lowest rates of sick pay in Europe and nearly two million workers do not earn enough to qualify for it.
Workers receiving statutory maternity, paternity, adoption or additional paternity pay are currently not eligible to receive SSP. The self-employed are also excluded.
The TUC said that the government should increase the rate of SSP from £95.85 to real living wage of £320 a week and extend SSP to all workers so nobody misses out due to not meeting the pay threshold.
The union also wants to see the government introduce a more extensive support package for household finances, including increasing the local authority hardship fund and providing support for those struggling with council tax and rent.
TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said the government “must do everything possible to slow down the spiralling rise in Covid-19 cases.
“With the virus becoming more infectious, it’s more important than ever that people self-isolate when they develop symptoms.
“But the lack of decent sick pay is undermining Britain’s public health effort and is forcing workers to choose between doing the right thing and being plunged into hardship.
“Ministers must stop turning a blind eye to this problem and raise sick pay to at least the real living wage of £320 a week.
“And they must ensure that everyone has access to it.”