Calls for more self-isolation support for low paid South Yorkshire workers
Rotherham Council says many people aren't qualifying for national help
We're hearing some South Yorkshire workers are still getting no financial support at all when they're told to self-isolate.
Rotherham Council say four fifths of people in the town who applied for government support while they stay at home were rejected.
It's prompted them to set up their own local support payments.
Aya's from the Sheffield Needs a Pay Rise campaign.
She's a fast food worker on a zero hours contract who's now having to self isolate - she doesn't qualify for any support or statutory sick pay:
"It's going to be difficult. It's obviously not an easy position. I get paid not much more than minimum wage which is £7.25 an hour so it's not like I've got savings or any other type of support. Which means I'll pretty much won't have anything to my name.
"This is not the first time I've been told to self-isolate, especially with track and trace. Every time that's happened I've not got any sort of support whatsoever. I got my holiday pay once - imagine you have to use your holiday dates to get some sort of income."
The government's offering £500 to those who are facing financial hardship through having to self isolate, but many don't qualify for that help.
Ministers say it's up to local authorities to support those who don't meet the requirements.
Leader of Rotherham Council Chris Read says that's a lot of people in the town:
"About 4 out of 5 people who've applied for what's known as the discretionary grants haven't been successful in getting that support. What it says to us it there's a lot of people libing in the Rotherham borough who would like to be doing the right thing who are missing out on financial support.
"It's clearly a really difficult situation for some people on low incomes, perhaps on zero hours contracts, those real quandaries about if I'm feeling ok but I've been told to self-isolate, do I try and feed my family or do I do the right thing and self isolate?"
The council's now set up its own local support in the form of £250 payments for people who don't qualify for any other help during self-isolation.
Cllr Read says it should help bring down cases in the borough:
"The national indicators suggest it's the one thing that people are least likely to do. A majority of people, the opinion polls suggest, don't isolate for long enough. So in the end, if we can ge this right, if we can get this support to people, it literally does save lives."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said:
“The Test and Trace Support Payment is a targeted scheme designed to help people on low incomes, who cannot work from home, if they are required to self-isolate when they test positive or are identified as a contact.
“Local authorities are responsible for decisions when it comes to making additional discretionary payments to people who fall outside the scope of the main scheme and are facing financial hardship as a result of having to self-isolate.
“From the outset, the Government has committed to covering all payments under the main scheme and administration costs. An initial £50 million was made available in September 2020, with a further £20 million made available this month. More funding for the main scheme and for administration costs will be made available in due course.
“We continue to work closely with the 314 local authorities in England to assess how the scheme is supporting people experiencing financial difficulties.”