Families of frontline workers who die from coronavirus will be given £60,000 payout

27 April 2020, 17:36 | Updated: 27 April 2020, 17:39

By Alice Dear

@According2Al

The Government announced today that the families of people who have tragically died on the frontline from COVID-19 will receive compensation.

Families who have lost a loved one from coronavirus, because they were a frontline worker, will receive a payout, Matt Hancock has revealed.

Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, said in the daily No.10 briefing on Monday that these families will receive £60,000 in a life assurance scheme.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson says it's too early to ease lockdown in first speech after coronavirus recovery

The scheme covers the families of people who have died while working on the frontline of the NHS and social care during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This announcement comes after 50 MPs wrote to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging for him to set up a compensation scheme for the grieving families.

Matt Hancock said in the press conference: "Families of staff who die from coronavirus in the course of their essential front line work 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 that are dealing with this grief.

"As a government we are looking are other professions that work on the front line against coronavirus who also do not have access to such schemes to see where this may be required."

Since March, 90 frontline NHS workers are confirmed to have died from the deadly virus.

You can find the latest Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice from the NHS here.