News / Bristol mayor
Marvin Rees calls for government to extend support for those self-isolating
Bristol City Council has rejected over 70 per cent of applications for a discretionary £500 grant, paid to people who are told they must self-isolate due to Covid-19. In a press conference last week, mayor Marvin Rees explained that the high number of rejections were due to the grant’s criteria being “restrictive”.
While people receiving benefits qualify for the Test and Trace Support Payment, on average only one quarter of applicants to the discretionary element of the England-wide fund have been accepted. Though the fund is intended to help people who cannot work from home and must take time off to isolate, or who are on a low income, strict eligibility criteria means most do not qualify for the one-off payment.
Rees said: “The point we’ve made to government, and core cities as well, is that £500 is too small. It should be about £750, and we should be expanding the criteria to bring more people in.” He said he is working with other councils to call on the government to extend support for those self-isolating.
is needed now More than ever
A national network of Community Organisers have been surveying residents in their communities to uncover the difficulties people face in self-isolating. They met with the NHS Test and Trace team on Monday January 25 to provide evidence to the government that people need more support to help them self-isolate.
Local network member Alex North, from Barton Hill’s Wellspring Settlement, said: “We know one of the main reasons why people can’t self-isolate is because they cannot afford to.”
On top of financial reasons, Alex explains that caring responsibilities and overcrowded housing have made it impossible for some of the residents he has spoken with to comply with the government guidelines.
“Some people don’t have space, which means they don’t have separate rooms for members of the family to self-isolate. Some families are at home in confined spaces with children fighting and it’s very stressful.”
https://www.facebook.com/BartonHillSettlement/photos/a.951561208211271/4146093532091340/
Recent reports from the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Resolution Foundation both state that statutory sick pay at its current rate of £96 per week is not enough to survive on.
A survey conducted by the TUC in September 2020 found that almost 50 per cent of workers earning less than £29,000 a year would be unable to survive for two weeks on the current rate of sick pay. The Resolution Foundation report highlights the fact that “the UK is almost at the bottom of the OECD [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] league table for the generosity of statutory sick pay”.
On Friday January 22 The Guardian wrote that the government was considering extending the Test and Trace Support Payment to everyone in England who tests positive for Covid-19, after polling revealed that only 17 per cent of people showing symptoms were getting tested. However, a government spokesperson later confirmed they would not be introducing a universal payment.
Proponents of a universal payment say it could help solve issues faced by councils in processing applications, and will mean that those who do not receive benefits but are on a low-income or are self-employed would get financial help.
In Bristol, the payments to the 30 per cent who are considered eligible for the £500 grant have been delayed, due to the finance team at Bristol City Council being kept busy “processing the 70 per cent of applicants who are not getting the payment”, Rees said.
The situation here is not unique. Analysis of figures from the BBC reveals a high number of applications are being rejected across the country. In Conservative-run Derbyshire Dales District Council, only one person out of 100 applicants received the fund.
However, a small number of councils have given out the grant to the majority of applicants. These include Lambeth, Haringey, Wakefield and Solihull.
The Community Organisers network will be continuing to share local stories with the NHS Test and Trace team, to inform the ongoing support for communities across the country. But for now, Bristolians who have to self-isolate may be feeling alone in more ways than one.
Main photo by CB Bristol Design
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