Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown
126,934 people signed this petition to the UK Parliament after it opened on 19 March 2020; it closed on 19 September 2020. The Government responded on 5 June 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 17 September 2020.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Encourage lenders, landlords and utilities to freeze payments during lockdown
If the country is locked down during a pandemic, the government should work with mortgage providers, landlords and utility companies to freeze rent, mortgage and utility bill payments.
This should happen for everyone unable to work during that period, whether their workplace has been closed, or they have to stay home to look after children.
If the country is locked down due to a pandemic many people wont be able to work for various reasons. During this time people should not have to worry about their finances. If it is everyone's best interest that people stay home then support should be offered to allow people to do so. Statutory sick pay does not cover most people's rent, and many people do not have savings, and if we dont support these people we risk forcing them to go to work when they shouldnt be doing so.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 5 June 2020; the petitions site lists the HM Treasury as responsible. Its summary:
The Government has announced cross sector support for consumers and businesses impacted by Covid 19 and we will continue to consider how consumers can be further supported.
The opening 316 words of the 808-word response:
This petition raises concerns about many households’ abilities to meet their nondiscretionary spending as a result of the impact of Covid-19 on personal finances and proposes a solution of government action to freeze household bills to alleviate this pressure.
The Government agrees that households struggling with their finances should be supported during this crisis which is why it is taking action to: a) support and protect household incomes; and b) ensure that firms are providing flexibility and forbearance for customers that are unable to meet their bills at this time. The measures announced by the Government, which are described below, addresses the concerns of the petition and ensures that household finances are being protected.
The Government will make sure it protects, as far as possible, people’s jobs and incomes. On 12 May, the Government announced a major extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which will continue to the end of October, including more flexibility and employer contributions from August as people return to work. All UK employers can apply for a grant that covers 80% of furloughed employees’ usual monthly wage costs, up to £2500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and pension contributions. The first grant payments have now been paid to help support jobs that might otherwise have been lost. On Thursday 26 March the Chancellor announced a new Self-Employment Income Support Scheme to support self-employed individuals affected by coronavirus outbreak. The SEISS will provide grants to those who are self-employed, or members of partnerships, worth 80% of their trading profits/partnership trading profits, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for 3 months. To support those on low incomes through the outbreak the Government has announced a package of temporary welfare measures, which includes an increase in the Local Housing Allowance rates for Universal Credit and Housing Benefit claimants so that it covers the cheapest third of local rents.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 2,107, came from West Ham.
126,593 of the signatures were from the UK and 341 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| West Ham | 2,107 |
| Brent Central | 1,700 |
| Tottenham | 1,665 |
| Brent North | 1,540 |
| East Ham | 1,442 |
| Hendon | 1,431 |
| Poplar and Limehouse | 1,383 |
| Feltham and Heston | 1,186 |
| Harrow East | 1,170 |
| Bethnal Green and Bow | 1,144 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 52,307 |
| South East | 15,482 |
| East of England | 11,761 |
| West Midlands | 7,999 |
| North West | 7,456 |
| East Midlands | 7,161 |
| South West | 6,957 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 5,768 |
| Scotland | 4,087 |
| Wales | 2,296 |
| North East | 1,751 |
| Northern Ireland | 468 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 17 September 2020. Read the debate in Hansard.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/302256.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
97f940d3b8cd1b93… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.