Ministers urged to bring in Covid-style hardship payments for monkeypox isolation

‘We cannot resign ourselves to monkeypox becoming endemic,’ councillors wrote

Ministers have been urged to provide financial support for people isolating with monkeypox.

More than 100 LGBTQ+ councillors and London Assembly members have written to the health secretary demanding help.

People who test positive for monkeypox can be asked to isolate for up to three weeks but there is no dedidacted financial support to do so.

Those who are isolating either have to bear the financial cost themselves or get help from the welfare system, such as the Household Support Fund.

Have you been impacted by monkeypox? If so email holly.bancroft@independent.co.uk

“We cannot resign ourselves to monkeypox becoming endemic. To do so would be to fail a generation of gay and bisexual men,” 114 councillors and assembly members wrote.

“As LGBT+ councillors and assembly members from across the political spectrum, we are united in asking that you act now so that we do not pay a greater cost later.”

Monkeypox can cause a rash 1 to 5 days after first symptoms (AP)

They added: “Local authorities are well placed to support those who face financial hardship as a result of needing to self-isolate” but “this needs additional resource and leadership from government.”

Monkeypox symptoms include a high temperature, a headache, muscle aches, swollen glands and joint pain.

A rash usually appears 1 to 5 days after the first symptoms, and often begins on the face before spreading.

The symptoms usually clear up in a few weeks.

“Without clear guidance and reimbursement for local authorities, there is a risk that some people in severe need of financial support will be forced to choose between their health and those of others, and being able to pay the bills,” the letter read.

The stocks of monkeypox vaccine in the UK could run out in weeks (AP)

The councillors’ also shared their concerns that the government was not providing enough information about monkeypox, especially around vaccinations.

“As with the early response to the HIV epidemic, our community is coming together to share information and support each other. The burden cannot fall on LGBT+ people to do this alone and it is not enough,” the said.

They urged the government to urgently review its procurement procedures for the monkeypox vaccine ahead of the autumn.

Vaccine supplies are running out and the UK Health Security Agency predicted that there would be none left by the end of August.