This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition HCW who die from COVID-19 should have enhanced death in service benefits
Parliament should realise that HCW are putting their lives at risk while carrying for patients with COVID-19. This is due to inadequate planning, restricted testing and lack of personal protection equipment. Families of those who die should receive greater support from the Department of Health.
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Around a fifth of staff are not in the NHS Pension scheme as they cannot afford contributions. Government should ensure that they receive the same lump sum benefits as those payable to members of the scheme if they die due to COVID-19.
All members of the NHS Pension scheme who succumb to the virus should have their full pension paid for fifteen years instead of the current five and three times their annual salary as death in service benefits. The latter should be tax free for all.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
There’s already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.
You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.
You may wish to sign this petition calling for the same action: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/307592
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here:
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/
Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.