£500 Discretionary payment

selby72

I’ve been informed to self isolate for 14 days and cannot work from home. I’m single with bills to pay like everyone else and according to the government website, I qualify for the £500 discretionary payment. It runs from the 28th September until the 31st January and you have to contact your local council. I’ve done that and been told it’s closed due to only been given enough by the government for 35 people. Been informed by work I will only get SSP. We are in the middle of a pandemic and the government thinks that only 35 people are going to have to self isolate in my area 🤷‍♀️ 

bradders1983

Has your local council got its grants mixed up? Try again and see if you get the same answer.

Mrsn

With the discretionary grant they will only have a certain amount in the pot. Once it’s gone then I can’t see it being topped up again.

If they’ve run out and you aren’t eligible for the other grant because you aren’t on any of the qualifying benefits then I’m not sure what else to advise. Perhaps ring them again just to double check or if they can offer any other general advice.

selby72

It seems my local council telephone staff don’t know the governments rules and was trying to imply that you have to be claiming benefits and wouldn’t have any of it. Ended up telling me to fill the application form in for it to be looked at if they get more funding, but when I tried filling it in it stopped me saying I don’t qualify when I ticked employed and not in receipt of any benefits. Phoned them back up to speak to a manager and that’s when I was told that they had only been given enough for 35 people. That’s appalling. The council website is misleading and I ended up phoning the local MP up with being annoyed, to which she agreed to it been misleading. Shes going to look into the 35 only payments been given cause she said it seemed a bit low and I’m awaiting reply. The mind boggles. 

MattMattMattUK

That depends, for a discretionary grant, the clue is in the word discretionary, funding is limited and the council can apply any terms they wish so long as they are not legally discriminatory. 

For the government fully funded scheme you must be in receipt of specific benefits.

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

gary83

Out of curiosity I looked up my local council rules which states something similar to what you’ve been told;

Discretionary fund is limited and there is no appeals process if we are unable to make a payment to you.

You also have to meet a low income threshold, Does your local councils webpage have similar small print? Unfortunately for you the clue might be in the title, it’s even called the discretionary fund, implying that there’s some choice or judgement in it & not everyone will get it

selby72

 No I still qualify although employed and what the discretionary one is for. The council wrote nothing on their website other than closed and  making it look like it was just for if you was on benefits, apart from the first billet point saying employed/self employed and then nothing. I didn’t even realise myself until the MP was looking at it while I was on the phone that there is one form for benefits and called something else and then the discretionary form for employed. It’s all on the first click and looking like it’s like all one bit. Very misleading and doesn’t matter about us mere mortals that are and should be entitled when the government site states. If the government state that you qualify then it should be granted and the council be able to claim it back. Or better still to save all the hassle when told that you have to self isolate or be fined, then it would be easier to just be allowed to get furloughed through your employer. It seems some will do it for that and some won’t. One rule for one and one rule for another 

MattMattMattUK

You do not seem to understand the meaning of the word "discretionary".

gary83

The discretionary one is potentially available if you’re employed and have lost income provided you have an annual income of less than £20,000 as a single person or £25,000 as a couple, however you’ve still overlooked the term discretionary in the title, you might get it, or you might not, you or anybody else has no “right” to a discretionary payment.

selby72

I’m single with an income of just under £18000. I do qualify for it according to the government website. 

MattMattMattUK

It is still discretionary, with limited funding, two very simple facts you seem to have an issue comprehending.