Boris 'should walk a mile in our shoes' - PIP recipient on the Universal Credit £20 uplift Jess Sheldon Replay Video UP NEXT It's nearly a year on since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first UK lockdown measures, with the stringent rules being intended to slow the spread of coronavirus. Aware of her own health and immune system, Melissa*, 41, knew early on in the outbreak that "it was not a wise move" for her to "go out and socialise". Melissa currently claims Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment Support Allowance (ESA), and is placed in the support group. She only recently received her official shielding letter, following a reassessment of risk factors, but Melissa has been shielding for months, conscious that the various health conditions she has means she could be vulnerable.