Think tanks urge Government to increase Covid self-isolation support

The success of the coronavirus vaccine rollout could be undermined if the Government does not increase self-isolation support, two think tanks are warning.

Researchers from the Nuffield Trust and the Resolution Foundation warn that boosting compliance with self-isolation is critical to resist the threats posed by new variants and rising cases as restrictions ease further.

The two think tanks propose a modified version of the Job Retention Scheme, which would allow employers to apply for capped grants to cover the lost wages of any employee needing to self-isolate.

It adds that the self-employed could access similar levels of support through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

This proposal would cost the Government £39 million a month if it were to cover 100% of wages capped at an equivalent of £2,500 a month, equal to the cap within the current furlough scheme, according to the report.

It adds that this cost would be equivalent to roughly 3% of the Government’s budget for the NHS test and trace system, which it calculates as costing on average about £1.25 billion a month.

Nuffield Trust senior fellow Sarah Reed said: “The support available for people to self-isolate has been a blind spot in our response to the pandemic.

“Next week the country will take further steps towards some resemblance of normality, but there are risks ahead.

“Case numbers are expected to rise coinciding with more social interaction, new variants are possible, and the vaccine rollout has not yet reached younger adults.

“With case numbers low, now is the time to fix the holes in our self-isolation policy.”

Resolution Foundation chief economist Mike Brewer added: “The UK’s failure to financially support workers who need to self-isolate has severely hampered efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

“Repurposing the successful Job Retention Scheme to compensate workers when they need to self-isolate could play a key role in continuing to suppress the virus as we continue to reopen the economy – and renew social interactions.”