The DWP will suspend face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefit payments for three months to protect people from coronavirus.
The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) will put the extraordinary measure into place from Tuesday, March 17.
Claimants of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment Support Allowance (ESA), some on Universal Credit and recipients of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit will be affected.
Suspension of the face-to-face assessments will also apply to new claims of those benefits.
It comes after the UK ramped up its response to Covid-19 to the ‘delay’ phase after it was revealed that 53 people who tested positive for the virus have died in the UK.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said: “As we move into the next phase of our response to coronavirus, it is right we take steps to protect those with health problems.
“Temporarily suspending face-to-face assessments for sickness and disability benefits will allow us to ensure we continue to provide a safety net for those in need, while removing unnecessary risk of exposure to the disease.”
Boris Johnson urged people to avoid all ‘non-essential’ contact during a press conference on Monday.
The Prime Minister called for “drastic action” to be taken to tackle the “fast growth” of Covid-19, which included advice to avoid pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Johnson also said that people who live with someone who has a cough or a temperature should stay at home for 14 days.
The total number of patients who have tested positive for coronavirus in Scotland currently stands at 171.
It was confirmed on Monday that 18 of those patients were diagnosed with the deadly bug in the last 24 hours.
One Scots patient has so far died as a result of Covid-19, which has claimed the lives of more than 7,000 people worldwide.
