The thousands of Wigan people given cash support during Covid self-isolation

From October 2020, people on low incomes could apply for a one-off £500 grant if they were required to self-isolate and could not work from home.However, the Test and Trace support payment initiative ended last month when the legal requirement for people who test positive for Covid to self-isolate was also scrapped.The Trades Union Congress branded the scheme “hopeless” as it claimed few were aware of its benefits, and added the decision to close it will force workers to take responsibility without adequate sick pay.In Wigan, there were 2,855 successful claims for Test and Trace support payments up to February 16, figures from the UK Health Security Agency show.

Of these, 1,625 were handed out through the main government scheme, aimed at those who will lose income as a result of working from home and who are in receipt of certain benefits, including Universal Credit and housing benefit.A further 1,230 were discretionary payments by the council, given to those on low incomes who did not meet the criteria for the main scheme.It meant there were roughly 109 successful applications per 10,000 adults in Wigan – in line with the national average of 116, when using the latest population estimates from the Office for National Statistics.A total of £1.4m was paid to support people self-isolating in Wigan over a 17-month period.A person could claim the payment more than once if they had to isolate on multiple occasions.The decision to scrap the payments and return to pre-Covid sick pay rules – where it is paid from the fourth day of sickness rather than the first – has been criticised by the British Medical Association.Chairman Dr Chaand Nagpaul said: “The removal of self-isolation payments, and then access to statutory sick pay in a months’ time, is incredibly concerning, as it will mean people cannot afford to stay at home if they are unwell.”

Dr Nagpaul added the Living with Covid plan, unveiled by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week, will create a “two-tier system” between those who can and cannot afford lateral flow tests from April 1 – threatening to exacerbate health inequalities exposed by the pandemic.Meanwhile, Frances O’Grady, TUC general secretary, argued the lack of adequate sick pay undermines workers’ ability to take responsibility.She said: “The Government should now look at urgently fixing sick pay by making it equivalent to the real living wage and available to all workers from day one of sickness.”A Government spokesperson said temporary changes to statutory sick pay, and the Test and Trace support scheme, were to “to help people experiencing financial hardship if they were self-isolating”.

They added:“We have worked closely with all 309 local authorities in England to ensure residents have been made aware of the support available to them.”

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here