FOI Request - Self-Employed Covid Support

Request 101002951396

Please can you provide information on the following questions regarding access to the Self-Isolation Support Grant in the local authority of Moray Council during the Covid pandemic.

All questions refer to the time period between March 2020 and up to the latest available data.

1. How many individuals have applied for the Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500? Please include a month-by-month breakdown.
2. How many of those applications were made by self-employed people?
3. How many of applications made by self-employed people automatically received the payment due to being on existing benefit schemes such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Working Tax Credits, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, and Housing Benefit?
4. How many self-employed people who were not on benefits received the Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500?
5. How many applications for the Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500 made by self-employed people were rejected and what were the top three reasons for rejection in these circumstances.
6. What was the total expenditure on Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500 made for self-employed people?

Response 21-01-22

1.            How many individuals have applied for the Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500? Please include a month-by-month breakdown.
The grant was not introduced until October 2020. Applications since then as follows:
Oct 2020 - 8, Nov 2020 - 10, Dec 2020 - 15, Jan 2021 - 65, Feb 2021 - 24, March 2021 - 26, April 2021 - 35, May 2021 - 52, June 2021 - 25, July 2021 - 108, Aug 2021 - 55, Sept 2021 - 85, Oct 2021 - 89, Nov 2021 - 172

2.            How many of those applications were made by self-employed people?
3.            How many of applications made by self-employed people automatically received the payment due to being on existing benefit schemes such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Working Tax Credits, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, and Housing Benefit?
4.            How many self-employed people who were not on benefits received the Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500?
5.            How many applications for the Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500 made by self-employed people were rejected and what were the top three reasons for rejection in these circumstances.
6.            What was the total expenditure on Self-Isolation Support Grant of £500 made for self-employed people?

With regard questions 2 - 6 this statistical information is not recorded as it is not required by Scottish Government. This information therefore falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.