Coronavirus: Renters to be protected from eviction

The government will bring forward emergency legislation to protect private renters from eviction, Boris Johnson has said.

Tenants were “worried sick” they might not be able to pay rents if they fell ill, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said at Prime Minister’s Questions.

On Tuesday, the chancellor promised mortgage “holidays”, £330bn in loans and £20bn in other aid.

Jeremy Corbyn urged the PM to protect private renters in “the interests of public health”, adding Britain’s 20 million private renters were “worried sick” about missing payments if they became ill, lost pay or had to self-isolate.

It came after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced £350bn of help for companies.

Mr Corbyn told the Commons: “Generations to come will look back on this moment and they will judge us, judge us on the actions we take now.

“Our response must be bold and it must be decisive. The market cannot deliver what is needed, only collective public action led by Government can protect our people and our society.

“And that collective action must not allow, must not allow the burden to fall most on those who lack the resources to come as happened after the financial crash.”

He added: “The health of us all depends on the health of the most vulnerable, so I ask the Prime Minister, will he step up now and not tomorrow and give support to those vulnerable people who live on the margins of society, who are vulnerable themselves and make us all vulnerable, and give them the support and the assurance that they are desperately searching for today?”

Johnson continues to pump money into the economy

Johnson replied: “Indeed I can Mr Speaker and that’s why we’ve announced another £500 million to go straight into councils to help them immediately with the needs of the poorest and the most vulnerable.”

Wales and Scotland said they would close schools by Friday Johnson said a decision on England was imminent.

Johnson told the Commons the Government will be making further decisions “imminently” over whether to close schools due to the coronavirus outbreak.

He said: “The House (of Commons) should expect further decisions to be taken imminently on schools and how to make sure that we square the circle both of making sure that we stop the spread of the disease but also of making sure that we relieve as much as we can pressure on our National Health Service.”

The government had been urged to do more for families, workers and tenants affected by coronavirus.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak yesterday revealed a new action as he says the UK has “never, in peacetime, faced an economic fight like this one”.

The support needed was “on a scale unimaginable only a few weeks ago”, Sunak said: “This is not a time for ideology and orthodoxy, this is a time to be bold – a time for courage.”

Coronavirus mortgage relief for homeowners, including a three mouth mortgage holiday along with new measures to help those facing financial difficulties during the coronavirus crisis.

The chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a £350bn package of loans and grants to help Britain cope with the lockdown of large parts of the economy, as he warned the country was facing a threat to its prosperity unmatched in peacetime.

It includes £330bn in loans, £20bn in other aid, a business rates holiday, and grants for retailers and pubs. Help for airlines is also being considered.

The measures outlined by the Chancellor include:

• A three-month mortgage holiday for homeowners if they are suffering difficulties due to the outbreak so they will not have to pay anything “while they get back on their feet”.
• Cash grants of up to £25,000 to be available to smaller businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a rateable value of less than £51,000.
• The business rates holiday for smaller businesses announced in last week’s Budget will be extended to all businesses in those sectors irrespective of their rateable value.
• The new business interruption loan scheme announced at the Budget is being extended to small and medium-sized businesses, providing loans of up to £5m with no interest due for the first six months, up from £1.2m.

The package of tax cuts and grants in this financial year is worth more than £20bn.

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