A test and trace “fiasco” has been worsened for a woman in Harrington after she was denied an isolation payment.

Kerry McPhee, of High Harrington, was left frustrated by the test and trace system after she was told to self isolate eight days after being in contact with someone who had Covid-19.

Her problems worsened after she was refused an isolation payment in lieu of wages.

“When I was first contacted they said ‘we haven’t got it up and running yet but you’ll be able to backdate it'," she claimed.

Kerry does not receive sick pay from her work: “It’s not too bad missing work if you’re going to get some payment.”

The reason given was that the scheme was not up-and-running when Kerry was told to self-isolate.

A spokesperson for Allerdale Council said: “The council has received funding from the government to assist low-income households who would experience hardship as a result of having to self-isolate.

“Each application for a payment is considered based upon the individual’s circumstances and in line with the eligibility criteria.

“We are unable to guarantee any payment until an application has been received and considered by the grants team. We are not able to comment on individual cases, however, we are happy to discuss the scheme details and how the eligibility criteria applies to this application with the customer.”

To find out more about the isolation support visit www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/coronavirus/coronavirus-council-tax-benefits-and-financial-support/test-trace-support-payment/