Is the government doing enough to support workers during the pandemic?

The government has offered unprecedented support to workers since the start of the lockdown in March. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced multiple schemes to tackle the economic impacts of the lockdown, including the JRS (Job Retention Scheme) for employees and the SISS (Self-Employment Income Support Scheme) for self-employed workers. In this episode, IFS Director Paul Johnson speaks to Helen Miller, Deputy Director of the IFS and head of our Tax sector, and Xiaowei Xu, a senior research economist in the Income, Work and Welfare sector. We ask about the government intervention, whether the schemes are extensive enough and what role the benefit system can play in plugging any gaps.

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