Mayor calls on Government for packaged support for South Yorkshire

The Sheffield City Region mayor said the money was desperately needed to avert a ‘wave of job losses and business failures’.

The county’s rate of infection when combining the four areas is now over 100 cases per 100,000.

“Restrictions are necessary to stem the spread of Covid-19, however we have moved way beyond a local lockdown: we have been forced into a northern shutdown, with no support for workers and employers,” Mayor Jarvis said.

“It is hard to imagine London and the South East facing the same fate.

“South Yorkshire cannot afford to see our high streets shuttered and the lights turned off in shops and bars.

“If we are to see further lockdown restrictions introduced, this must go hand in hand with support for our economy, to protect jobs, businesses and self-employed workers. We need a local lockdown lifeline across South Yorkshire to protect jobs and keep viable businesses afloat.”

The mayor has called on the Treasury to provide a targeted package for South Yorkshire’s economy, including:

Specific support for businesses in the hospitality, culture, arts and recreation sectors who are unable to operate at normal levels of capacity, including grants and further business rates relief after April 2021. This will aim to target support at viable firms who have higher fixed costs and prevent venues closing and job losses. The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme should be extended for self-employed and freelancers in sectors affected by local restrictions.

Fund the South Yorkshire Works jobs and training programme set out in the Sheffield City Region Renewal Action Plan to drive up skills for workers and businesses, through a Kickstart + scheme, an extension of the Working Win pilot and additional funding for Skills Bank to help adults retrain and find work.

Increase the eligibility criteria for the Test and Trace support payment for people who are unable to work because they are self-isolating, above the £500 threshold, so that more people are financially able to make the right choice to isolate if they test positive for COVID or come into contact with somebody that has.

The Treasury has been contacted for comment.

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