£500 Covid payment – Everyone with virus could be paid grant under radical Government plans to encourage self-isolation

EVERYONE with Covid could be given £500 under radical plans being considered to curb the spread of the virus, a leaked document revealed last night.

The proposed one-off payments for testing positive would cost a staggering £453 million a week but some ministers hope it would encourage more people to get swabbed and self-isolate.

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It comes after a government polling found just 17 per cent of people with coronavirus symptoms are coming forward for a test.

Ministers fear low turn out is because people know they will not be able to work if they test positive and think the universal payment could reverse that, The Guardian reported.

And as it stands, only those on a low income who cannot work from home and receive one of seven means-tested benefits are eligible for the current £500 test-and-trace support payment (TTSP).

However, this morning Environment Secretary George Eustice said he hadn't heard of the the plans.

"I understand it was from a leaked document and I have to confess I haven't seen it," Mr Eustice told BBC Radio 4.

"The Government obviously constantly keeps all of these policies under review, we've already had £500 support payment for those on certain benefits, recognising that it's harder for them to self-isolate.

"Whether that is something that is changed or expanded is obviously kept under review."

The Environment Secretary added: "At the moment we are in a full lockdown anyway so while people can leave to work, in many cases people will be staying home anyway."

It comes as:

• UK Covid deaths rise by another 1,290 after deadliest day EVER and 37,892 more new cases
• Travellers arriving in the UK could be forced to pay for a two-week quarantine in hotels to stop new mutations spreading
• Piers Morgan tells embattled Education Secretary Gavin Williamson he must resign after 'failing' the nation's kids
• Some Brits are 'jumping the vaccination queue' to get jabs reserved for frontline NHS workers
• Covid cases continue to rise in 18 areas
• Glastonbury is cancelled for the second year in a row as the pandemic shows few signs of waning

The leaked documents – which were revealed last night – have sparked fury across Government.

Allies of the PM and Chancellor claimed the idea was leaked by the Department of Health to try and bounce it into being accepted.

Downing Street was blindsided by the leak from the Department of Health for the plan to help more people isolate if they are infecttiou.

But while accepting there is a problem with flouting, insiders say "this is not the solution".

Allies of the Chancellor branded the £2 billion a month scheme: "Dead on arrival."

Meanwhile a No10 source said: If this was Matt's bright idea for getting the PM to sign up for it he hasn't been paying attention, Boris hates feeling like he is being bounced into anything."

There were also fears the proposed grant would encourage more people to go out and catch the virus – just to cash in.

The Government's latest cash splash plan would grant those who test positive the £500 sum.

However, it’s possible the payment could be limited to those who cannot work from home to slash the costs.

Detailed in an official policy paper, the proposal is one of four options which could expand the existing financial help, the paper said.

In a 16-page document, dated January 19 and marked “Official Sensitive”, the proposed action reads: “Anyone who tested positive for Covid-19, irrespective of their age, employment status or ability to work from home, would be eligible for TTSP.

"This would be straightforward for local authorities to administer, though it would lead to significantly greater volumes of applications than under the current scheme.”

Police could also be given access to health data to enforce quarantine under the proposals.

The current TTSP excludes many small business owners, sole traders, self-employed workers and parents whose kids have been told to self-isolate.

Wanting to avoid self-isolation is now the single biggest reported barrier to requesting a test.

Councils are given an additional pot of “discretionary” funding, but figures released this week showed three-quarters of applicants were being rejected.

An official review of the scheme found it excludes too many people with only one in four of those eligible are actually given financial support.

Meanwhile, another recommendation for firing up test numbers is to roll out nationwide self-testing for those already isolating.

The policy paper explained: “Wanting to avoid self-isolation is now the single biggest reported barrier to requesting a test.”

It means the possibility of a negative Covid result would encourage people to get swabbed if it means they can go back to work.

The government’s coronavirus operations committee will consider the latest incentives drawn up by Matt Hancock's team in a meeting chaired by Michael Gove on Friday.

Describing the universal payment as “the preferred DHSC position,” officials estimate it would cost up to £453m a week if there were 60,000 cases a day – 12 times the current cost of £36.5m a week.

It would cost £340m a week if there were 45,000 infections a day, as at present.

It comes after a further 37,892 people tested positive for coronavirus on Thursday, while another 1,290 lost their lives to the bug.

And a new study by Imperial College London researchers appears to show that lockdown has failed to drive cases down.

The PM has refused to say if lockdown restrictions will still be in place by the summer – and warned it "unquestionably will be a tough few weeks ahead".

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