Covid-19: Self-isolation support 'not working' in England, unions say By Rob England image captionPeople who are required to self-isolate can apply for a £500 grant "Patchy" financial support for people self-isolating in England has left many workers in hardship, unions have said. Figures suggest about 70% of applications for a £500 government support scheme were rejected as of 6 January. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) has called for statutory sick pay to be increased and made available to all workers. The government said it was "monitoring the effectiveness" of the support. Councils in England are responsible for processing applications for the NHS Test and Trace Support Scheme, with money allocated from central government.