Petition to get statutory sick pay for the self-employed during Coronavirus outbreak

The petition, on Parliament's website, has been signed by more than 156,800 people across the UK.

At the time of writing, the petition had been signed by 128 people in the Wakefield district, along with 122 people in Hemsworth and 143 in Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford area.

The petition, set up by Jane Lawson, must now be considered by Parliament as it has crossed the 100,000 threshold.

Jane said: “The self-employed make up 15 per cent of the UK's workforce. Majority are not entitled to any sick pay.

“I want the government to include us in the recent changes to statutory sick pay because of the Coronavirus.

“Excluding us means the government are running the risk of said people continuing going to work as just like everyone else we have bills to pay and thus spreading the virus."

There are 456 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the UK - with six people who tested positive for the virus dying.

There have been no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Wakefield.