A Bolton MP has called on the government to give people who have to self isolate adequate financial support.

Yasmin Qureshi, Bolton South East MP raised the issue with health minister Jo Churchill i the House of Commons.

She said: "My constituent, a shop worker, has a daughter who was sent home from school to isolate. She will not get paid, nor get sick pay and is worried about losing her job. She needs money to put food on the table for her family

“Can the minister tell the chancellor that we cannot keep the infection rate down if people are not given adequate financial support?”

Ms Churchill said Bolton was doing great work in tracing contacts of people who had tested positive for coronavirus and added: “It is important we give people the support in order that they isolate.”

But later Qureshi later told The Bolton News this was still not enough.

She said: “People are struggling to make ends meet. Only 12 per cent of workers can access the £500 one off self-isolation payment.

"The Government’s road map provides a clear route out of lockdown but the support packages must be in place to allow people to completely isolate without worrying about rent or bills.

“We cannot leave this down to employers who will make arbitrary decisions about sick leave, the Government needs to step up and ensure that this lockdown is the last.

“With the budget to be announced on March 3, the government, and namely the chancellor, must stick to their commitment to ‘do whatever it takes’ and support working people to safely isolate when they need to.”