Covid regulations may affect the young, but giving out ‘cash compensation’ is wrong

We all have our part to play in the ‘social contract’. Vaccine uptake is lowest among 19-29-year-olds – the young could consider older people more during the pandemic, writes Salma Shah

‘We’re all expected with our relative positions to make the required contributions to society, we do so because that’s ultimately fair’ (Getty)

One of the most interesting aspects of the pandemic is understanding that despite the rhetoric, Covid, is not the great equaliser. We may all have to follow the same rules regardless of our circumstances but inevitably the consequences, risks and critically, outcome for every individual varies greatly.

This is not just a question of rich vs poor or healthy vs unhealthy – it has exposed all manner of social fault lines, some of which have been a recurring sore for some years. Take for example intergenerational unfairness. We know that young people have put their lives on hold during the pandemic but an idea to compensate the young – as suggested author Ben Judah, who said it would be “funded by a one-off tax on the generations they protected” – has annoyed many.

The proposal is to provide a cash lump sum of a few thousand quid as a “thank you” to young people for enduring hardships such as not being able to go to nightclubs or whatever sacrifice they’ve made has been met with justifiable derision. Without wishing to sound like a ranting middle-aged person – the idea is a load of rubbish!