You have got to be kidding me!!!

[Hellin301]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55760467

People who test positive getting £500 to self isolate. All that will do is encourage the idiots in society to spread the disease just to get the money.

What are the government thinking

Such a vast amount of money

Wow I am honestly shocked by the classist responses to this thread.

You are really suggesting that people on benefits and lower incomes will intentionally get coronavirus so they can get £500? Really?

This has ripped through the more deprived areas of the country and disproportionately effected the exact people this payment is supposed to help.

I’ve watched the hysteria on here about lockdown and posters seemingly wanting it to go on for as long as possible, thinking that those posts were most likely written by people with no money worries and no idea of the realities for many. This thread just illustrates that perfectly.

And yes, yes it’s not to incentivise contracting the virus- it’s to incentivise getting tested. But I think targeting the poorest in society in this way is obscene.

Not quite. It’s to enable people who wouldn’t get paid otherwise or be able to afford to live, to self isolate. Not everyone gets paid if they can’t work. And not everyone can work from home!

@Crazycatlady83

Be a quicker way to herd immunity though .........

I swear this gets on my wick.

How many deaths were calculated that would be needed for natural herd immunity?

People who test positive getting £500 to self isolate.

Well, this will be the quickest way for the government to report the number of positive cases has dropped.

Johnson: Oh look, we tested 2 million people this week and there were no positive tests. Lockdown has worked.

Sunak: Thank fuck for that, that's saved us a few quid!!

If you’re going to pay people to isolate, at least make them isolate first and prove they’ve done it. Without visitors,

You misread it. That post said only 20% are isolating

No, I read it fine - I was surprised though, hence asking about the source

However I've probably made a hash of writing it up; what I'm really getting at is that, if only 20% are isolating when they're asked to, what makes anyone think the other 80% "just carrying on" would stop doing that because they were paid?

@Puzzledandpissedoff

You misread it. That post said only 20% are isolating

No, I read it fine - I was surprised though, hence asking about the source

However I've probably made a hash of writing it up; what I'm really getting at is that, if only 20% are isolating when they're asked to, what makes anyone think the other 80% "just carrying on" would stop doing that because they were paid?

Possibly because they could afford to? Just a thought.

I wonder what percentage of the 80% not isolating are really failing to comply due to affordability. I certainly know of people who have failed to isolate who had no financial or even practical issues with it at all. Just massive attitude problems.

Where people cannot afford it, wouldn’t it be better to tackle issues of contract, lack of contract, sick pay etc rather than just pay everyone. I guess that is something they might not want to commit to since by rights it should be ongoing even after the Covid peaks have passed.

I wonder what percentage of the 80% not isolating are really failing to comply due to affordability

I don't know the answer to that, but it's partly why I wondered what difference this would make.
You might get a few who'd stay home because it had been made more affordable, but as said, with patchy enforcement what's to stop them taking the money and going out?

Why are you all still talking nonsense ? Before this thread was started a cabinet minister said this would not be happening.

@SunshineCake

Why are you all still talking nonsense ? Before this thread was started a cabinet minister said this would not be happening.

Has a new law been passed to forbid people from discussing hypothesis now?

Obviously not but why wind yourself up about something that isn't happening.

Is anyone wound up? I thought it was a pretty standard discussion.

@ThatDamnKrampus

It is to help the lowest earners in society who otherwise may still risk working whilst infected. People who wouldn’t get paid. People who are on zero hours contracts. It is actually a good idea. A sensible idea (possibly one of the only ones the government have had!).

Anyone who thinks it is a ludicrous idea is obviously well off and wouldn’t struggle to put food on the table, pay their rent, keep gas and electric metres running whilst isolating.

I had to self-isolate as someone in my work bubble had COVID. There is a £500 one off payment you can claim if you are a low earner so I tried to apply for it as I’m just 3p above minimum wage but as I don’t claim any benefits (not even tax credits) I wasn’t entitled. It’s not that I’m not entitled to claim benefits, I just have really bad experience of claiming JSA and prefer to struggle then have job centre involved in my life in any way.

I've just seen my post was deleted. It was meant in a thinking out loud way following other comments, and I did say if utterly desperate. It was not meant in a judgemental way. I'm genuinely sorry to anyone I offended.

Wish they would divert that money my way. On minimum wageworking in a care home. Long hours wearing full ppe and being tested 3 times a week and dealing with residents who have covid. Lucky I love my. Job

@Hellin301

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55760467

People who test positive getting £500 to self isolate. All that will do is encourage the idiots in society to spread the disease just to get the money.

What are the government thinking

Such a vast amount of money

It says in the article headline there are "no plans to do this"....?

I can see both sides on this one. I suppose it’s in the hope that people will actually self isolate rather than work because of financial worries. Could I do with £500? Hell to the yes. Would I deliberately get CV for the money? Hell no! I doubt this will ever come to fruition in any event.

@Vivana
Thank you for doing what you do every day. A much beloved great aunt contracted COVID whilst in a care home, and it was lovely people such as yourself who saw her through it with no lingering effects. Not bad for a tough 91 year old

I’m surprised so many people are against the idea of paying people to self isolate.

It’s outrageous in my head that the government expect people to isolate, sometimes when they are healthy and haven’t teased positive, when it means they can’t afford to pay their bills without getting into debt.

Are people stupid enough to believe that since last March, everyone has been following the rule on self isolating with every cough or possible close contact? Of course they haven’t, because many genuinely can’t afford to. Not paying people to self isolate will undoubtedly have contributed to the spread of the virus, especially in lower socioeconomic areas where it is said to be higher.

Dorset County Council reckon this is already a thing, and has been since October - in Dorset at least. It’s for those already in receipt of certain benefits, are employed or self employed and cannot work from home.

This info has been on their website a while. So is this something that some LAs are doing and some aren’t?

www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/emergencies-severe-weather/emergencies/coronavirus/test-and-trace-support-payment/nhs-test-and-trace-support-payment.aspx

@NailsNeedDoing

I’m surprised so many people are against the idea of paying people to self isolate.

It’s outrageous in my head that the government expect people to isolate, sometimes when they are healthy and haven’t teased positive, when it means they can’t afford to pay their bills without getting into debt.

Are people stupid enough to believe that since last March, everyone has been following the rule on self isolating with every cough or possible close contact? Of course they haven’t, because many genuinely can’t afford to. Not paying people to self isolate will undoubtedly have contributed to the spread of the virus, especially in lower socioeconomic areas where it is said to be higher.

Absolutely agree. So many people have had to make the decision between self isolating and paying their bills.

Won't happen! Ridiculous idea!
Is this the bonkers press again?

why ? surely they shouldnt need an insentive