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People who are told to isolate themselves using the contact tracing app cannot claim financial support from the government, Sky News has learned, raising fears that underpaid workers will be forced to choose between health and difficulties.
A leading poverty charity called the situation “ridiculous” and Labor accused the government of putting families at risk of homelessness.
Workers with low benefit income are entitled to receive £ 500 if they cannot work from home while isolating themselves.
But a hidden flaw in the process for claiming payment means they can only claim support if a human contact tracker gives them a code.
Someone who tests positive on coronavirus and you receive your result through the application you can get paid because they will be referred to NHS Test and Trace for manual contact tracing by phone call.
But anyone who is told by the app to isolate themselves for people in England and Wales because they have been in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 They cannot claim payment even if they are entitled to it because the privacy protection design of the app means that their identity remains secret.
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The news comes despite claims by the health secretary that “the button is in the app” to allow people to claim payment.
Sky News has confirmed that there is no such button, leaving underpaid workers at risk of missing out on crucial financial support.
Test and Trace sources say the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) developed a plan for such a system at least two weeks ago.
But the feature, which would have allowed users to exit the app to make a claim, was not added, even though the app was quickly gaining users. It has now been downloaded more than 18 million times, according to DHSC.
When asked why Mr. Hancock claimed the button existed when it did not, a DHSC spokesperson said he had been referring to manual contact tracing.
It is not known how many people have been affected by the problem, but Labor MP Rachael Maskell said the public health team in her Central York constituency was “awash” with complaints and that the situation was “creating chaos” for the local councils.
Rep. Jonathan Reynolds, shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, told Sky News: “Compliance with self-isolation instructions should not push individuals and their families into hardship.
“Everyone wants to do the right thing and should be able to isolate themselves when needed by providing financial support where needed.”
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Anna Stevenson of the national anti-poverty charity Turn2Us warned that without financial support, low-income people would have a hard time isolating themselves.
“We all know that we need people to isolate themselves and yet if a phone line tells them to isolate themselves, they are supported to do so and if an app tells them to isolate themselves,” she He said. “It’s ridiculous.”
Paying £ 500 for low-wage workers who were asked to take time off work was a central part of the government’s plan to encourage self-isolation, introduced after studies suggested that fewer than 20% of people in England became isolated when asked to do so by contact. tracers, mainly for economic reasons.
However, although the contact tracing app was launched on September 26, two days before the new self-isolation law went into effect, sources working on the app say the two systems were never connected.
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The app team crafted a solution and it was approved by the NHS Test and Trace and Public Health England (PHE) at least two weeks ago, the source said, but work on the plan was delayed because the Cabinet Office and Downing Street were concerned. on the risk of fraud.
A spokesperson for the Health Department told Sky News: “The NHS Covid-19 app is voluntary and users remain anonymous, which means that currently, people are not eligible for support payment if the app advises them. to isolate themselves because they have had close contact with someone who tested positive. “
The spokesperson added: “We are actively exploring ways to expand the payment scheme to include this group of users.”
Steve Barclay, chief secretary of the Treasury, told Sky News that he was “not aware of that specific issue,” but reiterated support for those who were told to isolate themselves.
He added that the application was “easy to use” and stated that “it has been very effective.”
After a change in the law in England, it is now illegal for anyone Test and Trace to tell you to isolate yourself not to do so. This does not apply to the application instructions, which are advisory, cannot be legally enforced.
To be eligible for self-isolation pay, workers must be employed or self-employed, unable to work from home, and able to demonstrate that they will lose income as a result of being forced to stop working.
They must also receive one of several benefits, including Universal Credit and Income-Based Job Search Allowance.
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According to official statistics, just under four million workers in England were eligible for pay, although this number may be increasing as more people struggle to find work.
The number of people receiving universal credit has nearly doubled since February, from 2.9 million to 5.7 million, despite broad support from the government.
Test-and-trace figures released Thursday show that less than 60% close contacts of people who have tested positive for coronavirus in England are being reached, the lowest weekly percentage since the service began.
And only 15% of people tested for COVID-19 in England at an in-person site receive their result within 24 hours.
At a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson confessed “frustrations” with the system and admitted that it is necessary to “improve” it.
