FOI request (FOIR-336783887)

Update on self isolation payments

Requested Fri 21 May 2021
Responded  Fri 28 May 2021

I am hoping you can help with another FOI request regarding the self-isolation payments administered by councils.

Having previously sent a similar request in January, some of the below questions are updates on the information requested then, while others are entirely new. I have checked to ensure they're not already answered.

Please could I get a response to as many as possible by email (in whatever format best suits you, whether that's within the email text, in a word doc, or spreadsheet) to my email address.

1. Overall, as of 27th April 2021, how many applications to the Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme have been:

a. Received?

b. Processed?

c, Accepted?

d. Rejected?

If possible, please could the above be split by main and discretionary scheme. I understand that this is not always possible due to how applications are processed.

2. Since the scheme was extended to include parents or guardians of isolating children (announced in February, but introduced in March), how many applications in total (not just those from parents and carers) have you:

a. Received?

b. Processed?

c, Accepted?

d. Rejected?

Again, if possible, please could the above be split by main and discretionary scheme.

3. When the scheme was extended to cover parents and carers of self-isolating children, new funding was also announced for the discretionary scheme. Except for it now being open to parents and carers, did the new funding lead to any other widening of the eligibility criteria for the discretionary scheme?

4. At any point during the running of the scheme, did you run out of discretionary funding (even if this was later topped up)?

5. If possible, please could you provide a breakdown of accepted and rejected applications by gender, ethnicity, employment status, and disability?

Response

1a. Received - 847 (389 main scheme, 458 discretionary scheme)

1b. Processed - 846 (+1 claim where we are awaiting evidence)

1c. Accepted - 275 paid (136 main scheme, 139 discretionary scheme)

1d. Rejected - 571

2a. Received - 1 (discretionary scheme)

2b. Processed - 0

2c. Accepted - 0

2d. Rejected - 1

3. No

4. Yes

5. Information on ethnicity and disability not held

NOTICE OF REFUSAL

The information requested regarding gender and employment status would require us to manually 847 applications to check each customer record, this would far exceed the time limit set out by the Information Commissioner therefore under S12 of the Freedom of information Act 2000 provides an exemption from the obligation to comply with a request for information if the estimated costs of complying with that request would exceed the prescribed appropriate limit.

We estimate that the costs of complying with your request would exceed the appropriate limit by a significant amount.

For this reason we feel unable to comply with this request.