Media caption Boris Johnson. : “We must act like any wartime government” Rachel Reeves, Labor chairwoman of the Commons Business Committee, said there was nothing in the chancellor’s announcement to offer financial support to people who were already on statutory sick pay, self-isolating or had been laid off.
And unions raised concerns there were no measures to help freelancers and people working in the gig economy.
Other MPs called for more help for renters – although Mr Sunak said measures would be announced in the “coming days”.
Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn urged the government to suspend home rental fees and ban evictions of tenants during the coronavirus crisis.
The Prime Minister is likely to face more questions on the government response to the crisis when he appears before MPs in the Commons for Prime Minister’s Questions at 15: 10 GMT.
Companies and trade bodies welcomed the financial measures, but said they needed to work through the fine print.
Adam Marshall, chief executive of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the size of the grants and loans were good news for smaller businesses.
“But what’s going to be hugely important is that cash actually gets to the front line and gets there quickly,” he said.
Paul Johnson, director of the Institute of Fiscal Studies, said the business rates holiday offered “a substantial level of support” but was “probably not well targeted at saving jobs in those industries”.
“It will remain as expensive to pay people and if demand is down then jobs are likely to go,” he added.
He said it may be necessary to cut employer national insurance contributions, delay increases to the National Living Wage, and increase support for individuals through Universal Credit.
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