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I called my insurance company to ask whether I have to pay carers if I do not want them to come in. They advised me I can claim Statutory Sick Pay from the government for a carer’s pay if she has been told to self-isolate. My carer was not showing any symptoms herself, but knowing I am at high risk, informed me she had been in contact with someone who had symptoms. When I explained this, my insurance provider said this did not meet the current government criteria, and if I didn’t want my carer to come in, she would need to be paid in full. The fact I am at high risk was not considered. Given this, how are disabled people expected to protect themselves?.
I am proud to be a resource for the disabled community during this crisis, but I am not enough. We need NHS guidance for care staff in home settings, advice for employers who are also high-risk individuals, and acknowledgement that it is impossible for us to completely self-isolate. I want to support my community as I have always done, but right now, I need the government to help me do that
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