I became a self-employed tattooist last March and am eligible to claim a grant of £4,000 under the newly self-employed hardship fund announced by the Scottish government. I provided all the necessary information, but my application was rejected due to an inability to confirm my identity.
The form did not request ID, nor have I been approached for any. The system has been set up so you have one shot at applying, and cannot appeal – resulting in many people being wrongfully rejected with no way to correct it. (I am part of a group called Excluded UK for others in my position).
EA, Haddington, East Lothian
It is extraordinary that applications can be rejected with no detailed reason and no right of appeal. While some may fail because the applicants are ineligible, others will inevitably be compromised by processing errors. It just so happens, that the day after I raised your issue with the press office, the Scottish government announced re-submissions would be accepted if applicants discover that they – or the processing centre – made a mistake.
You were invited to resubmit your details the day after that and have been awarded the grant. It says that the scheme was designed to balance the risk of fraud with simplicity: “We are aware technical issues may have impacted on the ability of some people to successfully submit an application … where these have been identified, applicants have been given an opportunity to re-apply.
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