Clive Bull confronts Tory MP over "minimal" £13 a day self-isolation incentive
27 August 2020, 19:58
Clive Bull confronts Tory MP over "minimal" £13 a day isolate scheme
"It's not even minimum wage": Clive Bull grilled Tory MP Brendan Clarke Smith over the new financial help proposed by the Health Secretary to incentivise people with low incomes to self-isolate if instructed.
People on low incomes who are forced to self-isolate in high-risk areas of England will be able to claim money from the Government.
Those who test positive for coronavirus and can't work from home will receive £130 for their 10-day isolation. Other members of their household, who have to stay in for 14 days, will be entitled to £182.
LBC's Clive Bull asked the Tory MP if this will work - he responded, "It's a pilot...but with the infection rate we thought this was the right thing to do.
"Those that are the most vulnerable, those that need extra help, hopefully this will go at least a little way to giving them an extra hand."
Clive pointed out that it is only £13 a day, "not even minimum wage."
Mr Clarke Smith said, "£13 a day is if you're off for ten working days, you may not be off for 10 working days so you could calculate it differently."
Clive pushed that the payment is not very much, to which the Tory MP replied that this payment will be "on top of things people already receive" such as Universal Credit and working tax credit.
Clive questioned why the payment was not being rolled out across the country and Mr Clarke Smith explained again that the scheme is a pilot: "If we rolled it out across the whole country people would say it isn't a good way of spending money."
He acknowledged that while this is not a lot of extra money it will help the poorest in society who have had to make the difficult choice between safety and staying financially afloat.
