My office has been inundated by constituency enquiries about coronavirus related to employment rights, benefits, business support, travel, food, retail, cancellations, education and lots more. 

It’s vital to follow guidance from official and reputable sources so these pages should be used as primary sources of information, rather than news websites or social media.

This page will be updated from time to time so please keep checking back for the latest information.

General advice

• UK Government, COVID-19: guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people
• UK Government, Stay at home guidance

Advice and information from Pembrokeshire County Council 

• https://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/emergency-planning/advice-on-the-coronavirus

Health and social care

• NHS Direct Wales, Symptom checker (which can provide you with a self-isolation note)
• Public Health Wales, Latest information on coronavirus
• Welsh Government, Distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to social care settings (21 March)
• Welsh Government, Simple steps to help your pharmacy help you (19 March)
• Welsh Government, Temporarily registered nurses and midwives: guidance (20 March)
• Welsh Government, Doctors returning to the NHS to assist with COVID-19: guidance (19 March)
• Welsh Government, Support for community pharmacies (19 March)
• Welsh Government, Statement on coronavirus testing (21 March)
• Welsh Government, Returning pharmacists: guidance (20 March)
• Welsh Government, Returning allied health professionals and healthcare scientists: guidance (20 March)
• Welsh Government, Guidance for social or community care and residential settings
• UK Government, Guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19 (21 March)
• UK Government, Coronavirus (COVID-19): ventilator supply specification

Education and childcare

• Welsh Government, School closures from 20 March 2020: FAQs
• Welsh Government, Eligibility for ongoing provision for children who are vulnerable, or whose parents are critical to the Covid-19 response (20 March)
• Welsh Government, 5 things you need to know before sending your children to school or childcare
• Welsh Government, How schools will work during the coronavirus pandemic
• Welsh Government, Free school meals: coronavirus guidance for schools
• Welsh Government, Coronavirus and childcare provision
• Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Coronavirus – information hub for families and children

Work

• COVID-19: guidance for employees. This includes information on sick pay and benefits, and staying at home. People can claim sick pay if they are self-isolating or ill.he guidance now covers workers who cannot work because of the pandemic (known as ‘furloughed’ workers), and a link to information on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, through which the UK Government will pay 80% of furloughed workers’ wages through their employers.
• UK Government, COVID-19: guidance for employers
• House of Commons Library, Coronavirus: Employment rights and sick pay
• NHS Wales, Symptom checker and tool to get an ‘isolation’ note to give to employers

Benefits

• UK Government, Universal Credit and coronavirus
• UK Government, Increase of Working Tax Credits by £20 a week (23 March)
• UK Government, Face-to-face assessments for all sickness and disability benefits will be temporarily suspended for the next 3 months from Tuesday 17 March (16 March)
• House of Commons Library, Coronavirus: Claiming welfare benefits
• Step Change debt charity, Debt and coronavirus

Advice services

• Citizens Advice can provide benefits and employment advice online or on the phone – 03444 77 20 20. It also has an information page on coronavirus.
• Age Cymru is offering a new service for the over 70s to answer queries and direct people to local services & support. Anyone over 70 can register for free and receive a call back in either English or Welsh: 08000 223 444 /  enquiries@agecymru.org.uk
• Turn2Us is a national charity and welfare benefits advice service. It has a tool to find advisers in local areas, and a page on coronavirus.
• Money Advice Service, Coronavirus – what it means for you, information relating to personal finances, insurance and potential scams
• Acas, Coronavirus: advice for employers and employees

Business support and charities

• UK Government, COVID-19: support for businesses (not all information on this page applies in Wales, specifically around business rate relief).
  The guidance includes support for businesses who are paying sick pay to employees, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and support for paying tax (HMRC also has a dedicated helpline for tax issues:  0800 0159 559). Support is also now available under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. All UK employers will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those employees that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis.
  The guidance now also covers refers to support for businesses and self-employed people through deferring VAT and Income Tax payments.
• Welsh Government, Coronavirus (COVID-19): support for businesses. This page provides information on business rate relief, grants, Business Interruption Loan Scheme and additional support.
• Welsh Government, Development Bank of Wales announces three month capital repayment holiday (16 March)
• Business Wales, Coronavirus advice
• UK Government, Guidance for businesses and other venues on social distancing measures
• UK Government, Businesses and other venues subject to further social distancing measures (hospitality sector)
• Welsh Government, Rural Payments Wales (RPW): coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Welsh Government, Coronavirus (COVID-19): support for the third sector

Housing

• Welsh Government, Greater protection for tenants and landlords affected by coronavirus in Wales (22 March). This includes an announcement that landlords will be unable to start possession proceedings to evict tenants for at least a three month period during the crisis.
• UK Finance, which represents mortgage lenders issued a statement and list of frequently asked questions following the Chancellor’s announcement on 17 March that borrowers can apply for a mortgage repayment holiday of up to three months. On 18 March it was confirmed that this help would be extended to buy-to-let landlords with tenants who are experiencing issues with their finances, as either a direct or indirect result of coronavirus. There will also be a three month moratorium on residential and buy-to-let repossession actions from 19 March.
•  Welsh Government, COVID-19 Response – Homelessness and Rough Sleepers (20 March)
• Welsh Government, Help to Buy Wales loan interest repayment holiday (18 March)
• Welsh Government, Guidance for social landlords (13 March)
• Welsh Government, Guidance for substance misuse and homelessness services (19 March)
• Money Advice Service, A guide to mortgage payment holidays

Utilities

• UK Government, Government agrees measures with energy industry to support vulnerable people through COVID-19 (19 March)
• Welsh Water, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) – A Message to Our Customers
• Wales and West Utilities, Covid-19 Update (14 March)
• British Gas, Coronavirus updates
• Virgin Media, Covid-19 updates
• EDF Energy, Coronavirus FAQs
• Npower, Coronavirus updates
• BT, Our response to coronavirus
• UK Government, Mobile networks remove data charges for online NHS coronavirus advice (18 March)
• Royal Mail, Coronavirus update (20 March)

Transport

• UK Government, COVID-19: Guidance for staff in the transport sector
• UK Government, Temporary relaxation of the enforcement of the EU and GB drivers’ hours rules: all sectors carriage of goods by road
• UK Government, Driving tests and theory tests
• UK Government, Driving tests and MOTs for heavy vehicles suspended for up to 3 months to help tackle spread of coronavirus (20 March)
• UK Government, COVID-19: Shipping and ports guidance
• Civil Aviation Authority, Guidance on consumer law for airlines in the context of COVID-19
• UK Government, COVID-19: advice for the freight transport industry
• Road Haulage Association, Coronavirus updates, including information on freight movements through Europe

Travel

• UK Government, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19)
• UK Government, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice (general)
• Civil Aviation Authority, COVID-19: Information for passengers, holidaymakers and the industry
• Traveline Cymru, Coronavirus (COVID-19)- Latest Information, includes latest updates and advice on services from bus operators
• National Express, Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Latest information
• National Rail Enquiries: Coronavirus Travel Advice
• Transport for Wales, Travelling with us – Your safety and wellbeing during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
• Avanti West Coast, Coronavirus travel information
• Crosscountry trains, Coronavirus: Advice for our customers
• GWR, Coronavirus
• Cardiff Airport, Novel Coronavirus COVID-19- latest advice
• Bristol Airport, COVID-19 Latest Information
• Liverpool Airport, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) latest information
• Manchester Airport, Coronavirus advice for travellers
• StenaLine, Coronavirus Advice
• Irish Ferries, Coronavirus / COVID-19

Consumer rights and insurance

• Association of British Insurers, Coronavirus Q & A 
• Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Support for consumers
• UK Government, Competition and Markets Authority statement on sales and pricing practices during Coronavirus outbreak

Food and retail

• UK Government, Government to grant permission for pubs and restaurants to operate as takeaways as part of coronavirus response (17 March)– the Welsh Government confirmed that this is the case in Wales too
• Welsh Government, Relaxation of planning enforcement related to supermarket deliveries (13 March)
• British Retail Consortium, Food retailers reassure customers and ask them to buy responsibly (15 March)
• Aldi, Aldi’s response to COVID-19
• Asda, Steps we have taken in response to the Coronavirus outbreak and Don’t shop this Friday before 9am (18 and 19 March)
• Morrisons, An important update on Coronavirus
• Sainsbury’s, Working to feed the nation (18 March)
• Tesco, COVID-19: A message to our customers (18 March)

Community support

• Welsh Government, First Minister launches Looking Out for Each Other campaign in Wales (23 March)
• Violence Prevention Wales, Survivors and self-isolation
• UK Government, Looking after your mental wellbeing
• Public Health Wales, Public information posters

Culture, tourism and sport

• Welsh Government, Statement from First Minister Mark Drakeford about travelling in Wales and social distancing (22 March)
• UK Government, Mass gatherings and events
• Welsh Rugby Union, Financial support for clubs (18 March)
• Arts Council for Wales, Responding for coronavirus
• Sports Wales , Sports national centre closures

Courts and prisons

• UK Government, COVID-19: Courts and tribunals planning and preparation
• UK Government, COVID-19: Visiting prisons
• UK Government, COVID-19: Prisons and other prescribed places of detention guidance