Screen Time Downtime blocking "Always Allowed" Safari & Chrome

I’ve been running into this issue too, but have also have had it block content in other apps that I have whitelisted, like Uber Eats, and it seems that every section for these apps is treated like a separate instance—I can open the NPR app, but the content gets blocked, when I add in the passcode, it lets me see the articles list, but then I get challenged for the passcode on every article I try to click on. Similarly, when I have the passcode added for Chrome or Brave, I have to have the passcode added just to perform a search, then I get challenged for the passcode on every link I try to click on.

Since I have set up a system where my partner is the one who has the passcode for the screen time override, this has made my phone completely unusable for certain key functions.

Yeah, same here. I use Arc Browser, and it is blocked even though it is in the Allowed Apps section. Safari is blocked as well, although Safari doesn't show as an app option in the Allowed Apps section.