DISABLED people are being treated as collateral by the state, charities and campaigners said today as they warned that scrapping all coronavirus restrictions will “cost lives.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson eventually delivered his “living with Covid” plan to the Commons this afternoon, confirming that the legal obligation to self-isolate after a positive test will be axed on Thursday, with free Covid tests ending by April 1. 

Due to the development of Covid vaccination and treatments, the country can now move “from government restrictions to personal responsibility,” he claimed.

The plans also involve wrapping up the test & trace scheme and ending self-isolation payments. Free Covid tests will still be available for the elderly and the most clinically vulnerable, the PM said.  

Mr Johnson insisted that the government will continue to support the most vulnerable with targeted vaccines and treatment, announcing a new spring booster programme for people aged over 75 and immuno-supressed people.

But disability rights campaigners and charities said the move will leave vulnerable people cut off from the world.

Disability Rights UK policy and campaigns officer Dan White said: “The community of disabled people and their carers is effectively forgotten, and we are being made to feel like collateral by the state. 

“We have effectively been under house arrest for nearly two years. The promise of protective rings around the vulnerable from the government seems to have been forgotten out of [the] need to push for business growth and social activity.”

Disability charity Sense chief executive Richard Kramer said: “The lifting of all restrictions in England, and the removal of free testing, will increase fear and anxiety among disabled people.

“We all want to put the pandemic behind us, but the future for many disabled people, their families and carers, don’t resemble anything like normal. Many will continue to shield, cut off from the world, feeling forgotten.”

Scrapping free Covid testing could prevent families and carers visiting vulnerable loved ones, he said. 

Disabled People Against Cuts founder Linda Burnip said the government’s plan is “basically eugenics by the back door.” 

The campaign group is supporting a legal action by two clinically vulnerable people against the policy to remove isolation rules (www.crowdjustice.com/case/ending-isolation-risk-to-dp/).

And Immunodeficiency UK chief executive Susan Walsh warned the move was a “political decision that will cost lives.” 

“I find it shameful that the government thinks the job is done — the immunodeficiency community needs a coherent plan based on preventing, testing, treatment and support packages.”

One family said they felt clinically vulnerable people were being thrown to the wolves. 

Unions called on the government to keep Covid tests free and raise sick pay to protect the population from new outbreaks.

Public-sector union Unison said the government had “taken leave of its senses.

“Ditching every last Covid safety rule while thousands are still catching the virus every day is irresponsible,” said general secretary Christina McAnea. “Ending free tests ​for the public is a foolish move.” 

And TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady called for an immediate rise in statutory sick pay and an end to the lower earnings threshold, “which is currently excluding around two million workers from receiving any sick pay at all.”

The GMB said ending the isolation requirement for those testing positive was premature.

“GMB will put pressure on bosses to provide protective measures until case numbers are much lower. Workers should not lose pay or be disciplined for falling ill through no fault of their own,” said national health & safety director Dan Shears.

The PM’s statement, originally scheduled for this morning, was delayed to the afternoon due an alleged row over the funding of coronavirus tests.

Labour accused the government of chaos and incompetence over the Cabinet delay. 

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “It is clear the Prime Minister was trying to declare victory before the war is over, simply to distract from the police knocking at the door of Number 10.”

Disabled people, families and campaigners also handed in a petition of over 38,000 signatures at Downing Street today calling for disabled people to be put at the heart of this year’s Covid-19 inquiry.