We are three key workers with Long Covid. We have started this petition on behalf of all key workers to demand the U.K. government provide key workers who contracted Long Covid serving our country during the pandemic with a full compensation and pension scheme. Long covid has left key workers, including supermarket workers, carers, nurses, doctors, teachers and many more, debilitated, with completely different lives. We need compensation for our service and we need it now. 

Here’s who we are:

My name is Cass; I’m a nurse in Scotland and I caught Covid in April 2020 as a result of my job. I didn’t get better. I’ve tried (and failed) to return to work. I’m now facing losing my job and with it, my home, as my income will dramatically reduce. 

My friends are Rachel and Sarah; a nurse (from England) and a midwife (from Wales). They also caught Covid in 2020 and have been left disabled, unable to work since. Rachel faces losing her pay, while Sarah’s stopped in September 2022. Both of them caught Covid at work, due to no (or inadequate) PPE. Rachel and Sarah both have kids. We all have serious health issues, ranging from heart problems, loss of hearing, neurological damage and more. None of us are guaranteed benefits or ill-health retirement. Long Covid isn’t even classed as a disability.

As we saw on the APPG session, we aren’t the only people affected by Long Covid. Unlike other countries, our government isn’t looking into long term support and compensation for us. Despite the risk,  we cared for people and kept the country going. The Government has abandoned us. 

Key workers injured by Covid should be able to access full pension and lump sum payments, so we’re not disadvantaged. The Office of National Statistics found that Long Covid is higher in key workers because of our jobs. We need support from the Government to survive. Long covid has left us disabled and leaves so many of us at risk of being unable to heat our homes, losing our homes, or having to rely on foodbanks. Many are already at that point.

State benefits won’t support us or our families. Some of us aren’t able to access Industrial Illness Benefit or start personal injury claims: many didn’t have the support of the NHS Covid Special Leave scheme so have lost a lot already. We fully expected to work until pension age but our working lives have been drastically cut short by our newfound disabilities. We desperately need something similar to the armed forces, who have a compensation scheme, and we need to be compensated. The APPG on Coronavirus and the IIAC have called for this.

Our national leaders encouraged everyone to clap for us but now we’ve been abandoned. If you agree that we, and all other key workers, shouldn’t be treated like this, please sign, share and support our campaign. Thank you.

https://www.appgcoronavirus.uk/home/long-covid-report-march-2022