This is the sick pay you are entitled to if coronavirus stops you working

People who are unable to work due to the COVID-19 virus and are eligible for statutory sick pay will now get it from day one, rather than from the fourth day of their illness, the Department for Work and Pensions announced today.

Statutory sick pay will be available to those who are staying at home on government advice, not just those who are infected, and employers have been urged to use their discretion about what evidence – if any – they ask for.

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Workers who are required to provide evidence to their employer that they need to stay at home due to coronavirus have been told they can get this via NHS 111 Online rather than having to get a note from their doctor.

Self-employed claimants on Universal Credit who are forced to stay at home due to coronavirus, meanwhile, will not have a minimum income floor (an assumed level of income) applied during the period they are affected.

Workers in the UK are entitled to £94.25 per week in statutory sick pay if they are too ill to work, which is paid by their employer for up to 28 weeks.

You cannot get less than this statutory amount but some workers will get more if their company has a sick pay scheme.

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To help businesses weather the economic impact of a coronavirus outbreak, the Government says firms with fewer than 250 employees will be able to reclaim statutory sick pay for up to two weeks per employee for staff who are unable to work due to coronavirus.

People affected by coronavirus will be able to apply for Universal Credit and can receive up to a month’s advance up front without physically attending a jobcentre.

The Government said the changes were being made to ensure people can take the necessary time off work to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

More than 280,000 people, meanwhile, have signed a petition for all self-employed workers to be made eligible for statutory sick pay during the coronavirus outbreak.