Cash to Self-Isolate ‘Would Have Saved Lives’, Covid Inquiry Told

Baroness Dido Harding, former head of NHS Test and Trace, told the UK Covid inquiry that more generous financial support for self-isolation could have saved lives. She said that repeated calls for greater payments to low-income individuals went unheeded by the Treasury during the height of the pandemic.

The government introduced a £500 self-isolation payment in September 2020 for those on certain benefits. However, Harding argued that the UK invested far less than other countries in helping people stay home, making it harder for many to comply.

She also highlighted a clash in pandemic strategy: while scientists supported financial aid to boost adherence, ministers focused more on enforcement and penalties. Harding believes that had the UK taken a more supportive approach, both infections and deaths could have been reduced.