Couple still waiting for 'emergency' Covid help after five weeks

A couple from Sholver say they are struggling to meet their financial committments because of delays in processing Covid grants at Oldham Council.

Gary Davis, and his partner Jenny applied for the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme in January after they were both forced to self-isolate due to a Covid infection.

Almost six weeks later, the couple are still waiting for the payment which was introduced to support people on low incomes who have to self-isolate.

Both Gary and Jenny work zero-hours contracts and lost almost two weeks pay due to the self isolation rules, which stipulated that they must stay at home.

Gary says the wait has left them in financial hardship: "We applied for the discretionary grant a month ago and are still waiting.

"We contacted the council at the beginning of February and they said they were still dealing with applications from the beginning of January. A month in arrears.

"Due to the loss of income we are struggling to meet our financial commitments and this grant would have been a huge help."

Gary - who works as an actor, and Jenny, who works as a wardrobe mistress, have seen their income fall dramatically due to the effect of the Covid pandemic on the entertainment industry.

The couple - who are planning to get married in April - say they have been working at a Covid testing site after regular work dried up.  Now, they are struggling to get the money together for the wedding.

"We are just about getting by working at the test site, getting overtime when it's available although that's going to stop now no doubt. I'm going to have to contact the mortgage company for a payment break next month since all of our reserves, which weren't much to begin with, have been depleted.

"Unfortunately we booked our wedding and paid all the deposits two years ago on the assumption that we would have a certain income but then COVID hit, our industry shut down and we have had a nightmare time getting the money together.

"We both worked on pantomime over Christmas which was a much needed injection of cash that caught us up to date with all of our bills and took a bite out of the wedding. Then we got ill, then our wedding venue burned down and the pressure to bring some money in has been immense."

Gary says that the process to contact the team at Oldham Council was difficult after trying to enquire about the delay in the payment.

"I couldn't find a dedicated phone number or email address for the grant team so had to send a general council enquiry email which was passed to the right office. Then I received an email saying they were still dealing with applications from early January.

"Other than that email and an automated response to my initial application I've had no correspondence from the council regarding the delay or whether I'm even going to be awarded the grant.

"It sucks really. I appreciate they are swamped but there must be a better way than to leave people hanging. By the time the money comes through we've made other arrangements. Including getting into further debt."

The couple intend to catch up with their mortgage and pay off their overdraft should the grant come through.

Oldham Council have apologised for the delay in processing payments and say they have increased resources to deal with the backlog.

Councillor Abdul Jabbar MBE, Cabinet Member for Finance and Low Carbon, said: "The huge increase in applications, as a result of the rise of the Omicron variant in recent months, has affected the administration of Test and Trace Support Payments not only in Oldham but for local authorities across the country.

"This has resulted in some delays in residents receiving their self-isolation payments. We know this payment is crucial to many people on low income and we apologise especially to those who have faced additional financial problems during their wait.

"We have increased resources on the team and are working hard to ensure we can assess all applications as quickly as possible."

The Test and Trace Support Payment scheme ended on Thursday 24 February. Those who were required to self-isolate before this date still have time to apply as the deadline is 42 days after the first day of isolation.

Cllr Jabbar assured residents who are waiting to be notified about their grants will be contacted 'shortly' with the outcome of their application.

“In the meantime, if anyone is struggling financially and needs support, please reach out to us on our Oldham helpline, which is 0161 770 7007. Lines are open 9am – 5pm on weekdays.

“Additionally, there is a host of information available as part of our We Can Help Campaign, which includes details on emergency support and local welfare provision, access to free school meals, advice on managing your money and welfare applications, assistance with your energy bills and much more.”

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