Coronavirus - Part Two.

[charliewag 19]

An increase in statutory sick pay from the current 90 odd quid a week would be a welcome boost for those having to self isolate. I lost approximately &600 when I had to and a work colleague has had to isolate twice because his wife and daughter tested positive at different times.

[charliewag 19]

Fortunately, my colleague and I are in a position where we didn't need to apply for help unlike a lot of others. He actually did apply for the &500 payment as a matter of principle but heard nothing back.

[nikki-red 308]

   

Quote

If you’re eligible for either the Test and Trace Support Payment or a discretionary payment, you will receive the £500 payment on top of any benefits and Statutory Sick Pay that you currently receive.

 

Quote

You could be eligible for a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment if you live in England and meet all the following criteria:

 

you’ve been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or the NHS COVID-19 app, either because you have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive

you’ve responded to messages received from NHS Test and Trace and have provided any legally required information

you’re employed or self-employed

you’re unable to work from home and will lose income as a result of self-isolating

you’re currently receiving or are the partner of someone in the same household who is receiving, at least one of the following benefits:

Universal Credit

Working Tax Credit

income-based Employment and Support Allowance

income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

Income Support

Housing Benefit

Pension Credit

If you’re not on one of these benefits, you could be eligible for a £500 discretionary payment if all the following apply:

you meet all the other criteria listed above

you’re on a low income

you will face financial hardship as a result of self-isolating

 

 

From... https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme

 

The scheme ends at the end of this month tho, and I personally think that anyone losing income should be able to claim something.

Edited January 23, 2021 by nikki-red

[Baron99 794]

18 minutes ago, Mister M said:

I wonder what evidence there is of this based on the scheme offered in New York where people affected are offered money?

So what can the authorities do to ensure those being identified as having Covid, & needing to self isolate do exactly that? As said earlier compliance rates are as low as 11%. 

Yes there are administrative costs - but how much has the test and trace system cost, and how effective is that?

Less carrot, more stick.  There's no evidence to suggest that those with the lack of civil duty wouldn't just pick up their £500 & then just go about there business.  The police around the country have already made it plain months ago that they had wouldn't be going round to people's accommodation, either those arriving in the UK or those 'pinged' by NHS test & trace app

 

It's merely unworkable, unless you basically strap an ankle tag to someone for a fortnight.  As much as I'd like every rule breaker to be financially punished, we've had nearly a year of this & we now know that without redeployment of police resources, sadly its not going to work.

 

We should be thankful that there are 89% of us who are sticking to the rules. 

[Mister M 1,625]

9 minutes ago, Baron99 said:

Less carrot, more stick.  There's no evidence to suggest that those with the lack of civil duty wouldn't just pick up their £500 & then just go about there business.  The police around the country have already made it plain months ago that they had wouldn't be going round to people's accommodation, either those arriving in the UK or those 'pinged' by NHS test & trace app

 

It's merely unworkable, unless you basically strap an ankle tag to someone for a fortnight.  As much as I'd like every rule breaker to be financially punished, we've had nearly a year of this & we now know that without redeployment of police resources, sadly its not going to work.

 

We should be thankful that there are 89% of us who are sticking to the rules. 

But there aren't. 

According to the study I quoted above, it's 11% of the population are complying with the rules on self isolation, and 89% that are not. 

Granted there are studies which show compliance at 18%, and there may be studies which show compliance rates higher.

But still it's a pitifully low number.

And if the police aren't going to enforce it, who is?

Edited January 23, 2021 by Mister M

[Jim117 72]

I had to drive into town yesterday and it was quite busy with people and traffic. Nothing like the first lockdown, in fact except for mask wearing, you probably wouldn’t even notice much difference to pre pandemic days. On the bright side, at least for me, was there to collect a computer so my OH can finally work from home.

[Thirsty Relic 213]

3 hours ago, nikki-red said:

If you lose income due to isolating you can get help anyway.

My fear would be that offering money to everyone needing to isolate would just lead to some people being even more irresponsible in an actual attempt to catch it and therefore pocket £500.

I agree, but I can also see the point from RollingJ:

 

"Exactly, therefore stupidly risking death, overloading the health service and behaving like a lemming - but sadly they are out there." 

 

(couldn't work out how to put 2 quotes in here after 5 or 6 attempts!

 

People accept that the older you are, the more vulnerable you are to bad outcomes if you catch the virus.  The older you are, surveys tells us that the more likely you are to agree to be vaccinated.

 

What we need to appreciate is that what follows is that the younger people are less likely to agree to be vaccinated, and are aware that they have little chance of bad outcomes to them if they catch the virus.   You can understand how many younger people want to work through the epidemic and take their chances. 

 

That £500 may mean some of them stay indoors if tested and proved to have Covid, and that can only be good news.  Would that be more than those who try to get Covid so they get the cash?  I've no idea how you would find that out.

 

[tinfoilhat 11]

3 hours ago, nikki-red said:

If you lose income due to isolating you can get help anyway.

My fear would be that offering money to everyone needing to isolate would just lead to some people being even more irresponsible in an actual attempt to catch it and therefore pocket £500.

Are people that stupid/desperate?

 

Honest question. 

 

And further more, if it's something you can only claim for once, is it worth a go If it stops people going back to work spreading it?

3 hours ago, Baron99 said:

My bold. 

 

But that's all it was, talk.  Based on a document someone has seen from the Govt's Policy Unit.  Just an idea someone suggested & now clearly dismissed. 

 

Ridiculous idea anyway.  Think of the additional administrative cost of running the scheme, including all the checks required to ensure that people weren't scamming the system to make quick money, much as in the same way that the furlough scheme has been scammed. 

 

It's an idea that's wide open to fraud. 

Furlough is wide open to fraud and that's continuing.  

[nikki-red 308]

11 minutes ago, tinfoilhat said:

Are people that stupid/desperate?

 

Honest question. 

 

And further more, if it's something you can only claim for once, is it worth a go If it stops people going back to work spreading it?

Im really not sure.

But it could give the large amount of people not really following the guidelines a reason not be even more irresponsible, and  who’s to say those people aren’t already carrying it? 

 

Edited January 23, 2021 by nikki-red

[Mister M 1,625]

 

Stephen Reicher on Twitter: "New York. Isolation rate: 95-97%. Support: money, hotel accommodation, food, other essential goods, regular contact. UK. Isolation rate: 11-23%. Support: money (possibly, for a few, hard to access). See the difference? We need supported isolation. And we need it now." / Twitter

of Independent Sage

 

I don't dispute that a few irresponsible people may try and get the £500, but I don't believe that the vast majority of people will deliberately infect themselves with Covid to get that money, or to get to stay in a quarantine hotel.

There maybe evidence of this in New York, and if, there is even a whiff of scrounging behaviour, then I'm sure if the American version of the Daily Mail would be all over it like a rash.

 

I also agree that statutory sick pay should be raised so that working people can afford to self isolate if they get the virus.

 

I suppose ultimately it depends on people's priorities: do everything possible to try to curb infection rates; or feel hard done by because a small minority of people would be so stupid as to willingly put their lives in danger, contract the virus so they could get some 'free money'.

 

We know that the new strain of the virus is more transmissible, yet the latest lockdown rules are much more lax. It just doesn't make any sense whatsoever. I'm all in favour of using the stick where necessary, whether that's fines & threats of a criminal record.

 

I would also like to ask is are people just as angry at multi million pound contracts to friends of the government for providing inadequate services (Test & Trace?), as they are with some dim window licker desperate enough to try to get Covid so they can claim £500?

Edited January 23, 2021 by Mister M

[El Cid 219]

My 93 yr old relative hasnt had his vaccination yet. The doctors practice told him they dont have enough supply. I am hoping that is just an excuse, although they should really be honest.

Its a nurse that will be coming to his house, so that could mean things take longer.

[apelike 10]

13 minutes ago, Mister M said:

 

Stephen Reicher on Twitter: "New York. Isolation rate: 95-97%. Support: money, hotel accommodation, food, other essential goods, regular contact. UK. Isolation rate: 11-23%. Support: money (possibly, for a few, hard to access). See the difference? We need supported isolation. And we need it now." / Twitter

As said before, anyone can post stuff on twitter without having to give out the source of that information. I now wonder where he gets his information from as it seems suspect.

 

BTW, I am annoyed at this government as it was blindingly obvious that Track and Trace would not be successful unless it was compulsory for all regardless of who got the contract.