Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he is holding with local authorities on the use of discretionary funds to support people to isolate at home in the event that they cannot afford to do so on current sick payment arrangements.

The UK Health Security Agency engages regularly with the 309 local authorities in England to support them in using the £20 million a month available for discretionary payments under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme. This funding enables local authorities to provide financial support for people who are likely to experience financial hardship because of the requirement to self-isolate.