Ceredigion’s MP is calling for a scheme where staff can be ‘furloughed’ if the area is hit by a local lockdown.

Ben Lake MP has called on the Chancellor to announce a scheme in his Mini Budget on Wednesday allowing targeted furloughing and business support to back up local lockdowns.

The Plaid Cymru treasury spokesperson said that people will face a choice between “doing the right thing, and putting enough food on the table” if they are forced to self-isolate in a local lockdowns.

In the UK, self-isolating employees who cannot work will only legally be eligible for £95.85 per week in Statutory Sick Pay.

There are concerns that some workers will be forced to ignore requests to self-isolate – potentially undermining any ‘local lockdowns’ – as the less than £100 sick pay payment will not be enough to support affected families.

Mr Lake’s party colleague, Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts recently highlighted at PMQs that workers in other European countries receive 100 per cent of their pay if they are forced to self-isolate.

Mr Lake said: “We have seen in the last few days that local lockdowns are likely to become the new normal. You simply cannot force people into lockdown without the financial support that they need – it is not fair, and more fundamentally it will not work.

“If people are forced to self-isolate and thereby depend on less than £100 a week in sick pay, many people will face a difficult decision between doing the right thing, and putting enough food on the table for their family.

“Wednesday’s statement marks an opportunity for the Chancellor to address this issue and put in place a targeted, furlough-like scheme to ensure that any local lockdown is effective.

"It is not only the right thing to do by the employees and businesses, it is also essential if local lockdowns are to be effective in containing any outbreaks and safeguarding public health.”