Self-isolation payments not working for low-income workers in Yorkshire, say TUC

More than 60 per cent of applications in Yorkshire to a government scheme to support low-income workers who need to self-isolate have been rejected, new figures show.
60 per cent of applications to the self isolation payment scheme have been rejected in Yorkshire, new figures show. Pictured: Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer60 per cent of applications to the self isolation payment scheme have been rejected in Yorkshire, new figures show. Pictured: Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer
60 per cent of applications to the self isolation payment scheme have been rejected in Yorkshire, new figures show. Pictured: Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer

The one-off £500 payment was introduced by the government last September aimed at those who need to self-isolate during the pandemic but cannot work from home.

But the TUC have said 62.4 per cent of applications made by workers in Yorkshire seeking support have been rejected.

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Some councils are running their own schemes of discretionary grants for people who don’t meet the government criteria.

But four councils across Yorkshire, including Barnsley, Hull, Bradford and Wakefield, have now spent their government funding to support those discretionary grants meaning they are having to meet the costs themselves.

Hull City Council has spent over four times the amount of money allocated to it to pay out to self-isolating workers.

The figures show 32 per cent applications for council grants are successful, compared with 42 per cent in applications to the national self isolation grant.

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And there has been massive differences across the region in the number of grants administered, the TUC said, with Richmondshire giving out just 25 grants overall, while Bradford has administered 2094 grants.

The TUC said it is concerned that many workers are being forced to choose between self-isolating, or protecting their income. TUC Yorkshire and Humber Regional Secretary Bill Adams said: “No one should be forced to choose between doing the right thing and being plunged into hardship.

“Too many low-paid workers here in Yorkshire and Humber are going without the financial support they need to self-isolate.”

A spokesperson for Richmondshire District Council said: “We believe the issue with the number of claims paid out is around eligibility for the payment which is set in the government’s criteria for this scheme. This is mostly benefits and low income related; it isn’t picking up people on higher salaries.”

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A spokesperson for Hull Council said: “Hull has a relatively low wage economy, with many residents in employment which does not provide income when isolating, which has resulted in a relatively high numbers of claims.” It said the council “took a pragmatic and prudent approach to ensure applications are processed effectively”.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We recognise that this is a challenging period for many people and the Government has provided local authorities with £70m of funding which can be used to make discretionary payments to anyone outside the scope of the scheme who is self-isolating.”

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