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26
Mar 2020
Jammed phone lines and inconsistent help lead to criticism of government support schemes
Access to support promised by the government is proving difficult for residents in the Harrogate district as people across the country attempt to get advice.
From business rates relief to mortgage holidays, phone lines for government organisations and financial providers have been jammed by people trying to speak to someone about how they can access the promised support.
And in some cases, even when they finally get through, people are finding the help is not available.
Kate Curtis, a self-employed inventory clerk in Harrogate, spent seven hours on the phone to Santander only to be told she was not eligible for a mortgage holiday because she had money in her current and business accounts.
She said: “I told them that money was to pay my tax bill, but they wanted to see last year’s tax bill to prove how much it would be.
“I’m fortunate that I’ve earned more this year because I’ve been really busy so my tax bill will be much higher. They want to see this year’s accounts, which I can’t do until April, and I’ve just had an email from my accountant saying she’s unwell and having to self-isolate.”
What concerns Kate is that the announcements from the government seem to be open to interpretation, so there is no consistency. Other people have reported that getting a mortgage holiday from their provider has been more straightforward, with few or no checks on their finances.
Business as usual
That inconsistency is also affecting Kate’s work with lettings and estate agents, checking rental properties after tenancies end. There has been no clear instruction to property firms to stop working, so many of them are continuing to arrange viewings – albeit some online – and request her services.
“Even if the property is empty, I’m often asked to go to blocks of flats with communal areas – one yesterday was a retirement block. They’re not fulfilling their duty of care to people like me or to their staff.”
For Kate, who is now home-schooling two children, the only solution is for the government to be much more stringent in the restrictions, so they are not open to interpretation by businesses, whether that is employers or banks.
Meanwhile, she is anxiously waiting to hear what support will be on offer for the self-employed, with an announcement expected imminently from the Chancellor. However, the rapid growth of her business in the last year may again leave her with little support if long-term earnings have to be proved.
With her pilot husband unsure whether he will be paid for the coming months, the family is in a precarious position.
“We went through redundancy five years ago,” she said. “It’s only in the last six or nine months we have got back on our feet and cleared the debt and started to be able to put some money aside again.”
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