Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 09 February 2022
If Mr Mason will let me develop the point, he will see where we got the calculations from.
Scottish Labour’s reasoned amendment is a recognition that the financial implications of the pandemic have been devastating for families and businesses, and that having to self-isolate instead of going to work and earning a salary would have been a very difficult and worrying prospect for many people, not least those who have a family to support. That is even more the case in the context of the worst cost of living crisis in my memory. That is why the self-isolation support grants are welcome and very much needed if people are to comply with the stay-at-home rules.
However, it is no good having the grants if they are not getting into the pockets of those who need them the most. The latest figures show that fewer than half the people who applied for the grant were successful in their applications.
During the stage 1 debate, MSPs across the chamber told their own stories of people who had been in touch to say that they were unaware that the grants existed, or that the process for applying was lengthy and complicated, with many feeling that they had no choice but to abandon their applications.
I acknowledge the Deputy First Minister’s comments about public awareness, but we should do as much as we can to better advertise the details and eligibility criteria to ensure that as many people as possible get the help that they need.
In addition to the fact that the grants do not always get into the pockets of everyone who is eligible, worryingly, even when grants are paid out, there is not always as much financial help as there could be. The grant is currently capped at £500, which means that workers who usually work full time on the national living wage would come out of a 10-day self-isolation period out of pocket, despite their being successful in their grant application. Scottish Labour believes that there should be an increase in the amount paid out through the self-isolation grant so that it at least matches the living wage of £9.50 per hour from April. That will ensure that people who are low paid are not left worse off because they followed the rules. I hope that the Deputy First Minister will accept the amendment and recognise that the request to review the amount is not unreasonable.
Only last week in the chamber, we all agreed that we are living in the midst of a cost of living crisis of an unprecedented scale. We know all too well that energy prices are skyrocketing. People will be paying £700 more for their energy, at a time when Shell and BP announced eye-watering profits that equate to a profit of £44,710 every single minute.
The cost of the weekly food shop is going up, inflation is rising, interest rates are going up and national insurance will increase by 10 per cent in April. It is undoubtedly the case that, whether we like it or not, the value of the self-isolation grant is being eroded. The £500 grant was agreed almost two years ago. Although it was and remains undoubtedly helpful, given what we now know about household expenses increasing exponentially, we should act to reflect those new realities.
The self-isolation grant provides the incentive that is needed for people to stay at home and protect public health when they are infected with Covid-19. It is our job to ensure that no one is left at a financial disadvantage, especially when they are acting in the public interest. I note that the United Kingdom Government appears to be set to scrap self-isolation. I would be grateful for the Deputy First Minister’s view on that, and on the implications for the Scottish Government’s approach.
I will also raise a practical problem with implementation. At stage 1, I spoke about the delays that my constituents experienced in receiving funds—one waited as long as 11 weeks to receive the funds that they needed immediately to avoid financial hardship. I understand that local authorities make the payments, and I thank all those who are working so hard to process the grants. However, they did not have adequate resources to respond quickly, especially when significant numbers of applications came in.
In my local area of West Dunbartonshire, a total of £718,500 was paid out between October 2020 and November 2021. However, more than half of that was paid out to successful applicants in October 2021 alone. There was a clear backlog in applications. For the future, it is critical to ensure that local authorities build in that surge capacity.
I reiterate my support for the bill, and ask the Deputy First Minister and the chamber to support the very reasonable amendment in my name to make sure that grant payments keep pace with the cost of living.
I move amendment S6M-03080.1, to insert at end:
“, and, in so doing, calls on the Scottish Government to review the amount paid in the self-isolation grant to ensure that it at least matches the National Living Wage.”
16:03Motions, questions or amendments mentioned by their reference code.