Example
C applied for a Self-Isolation Support Grant via the Scottish Welfare Fund at their local council. C was employed as a gardener and had received a telephone call advising them to self-isolate, and was given a reference number. C had recently returned from a holiday abroad feeling unwell but subsequently tested negative for COVID-19. C was prevented from working and obtained a self-isolation note online.
The council initially refused the application on the basis that C had not been told to self-isolate by the Test and Protect Service. At first tier review, the council advised C that they were not eligible for a grant as the council had been unable to corroborate the information provided by C with Test and Protect Scotland.
C submitted an independent review request. We requested the council's file and spoke with C for additional information. We contacted Test and Protect on two occasions. We were told during our first telephone call that they had no record of having contacted C and they did not recognise the reference number provided. We enquired again and a manager informed us that C was contacted by border control in relation to the generic reminder regarding the 14 day self-isolation period required as a result of returning from outside of the UK, and that was where the reference number came from. Test and Protect confirmed that they had not contacted C. On this basis, we agreed with the council's decision not to award a grant, as C did not meet the eligibility criteria. We provided the council with feedback in relation to their original decision letter being unclear as to why C was ineligible for an award.