£500 LIFELINE CASH IF YOU’RE ORDERED INTO ISOLATION TO COMBAT COVID-19
Help for low-earners contacted by NHS Test & Trace:
SELF-ISOLATING residents will be able to claim a £500 support payment from today.
Anyone on low income who has been told to stay at home by NHS Test and Trace – and who cannot work from home – will be eligible for the one-off payment.
This will apply to people who have tested positive for coronavirus, and those who have to self-isolate after coming into close contact with someone who has tested positive.
The scheme is open to the employed and self-employed, as well as people who are currently receiving Universal Credit, Working
Tax Credit, Income Based Employment and Support Allowance, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/ or Pension Credit.
Local councils will be administering the payments. Eligible residents in Stoke-on-trent will be able to fill in a form at stoke.gov.uk from today. Residents in other areas should contact their local authority.
People who have been self-isolating from September 28 will be able to claim a backdated payment.
City council leader Abi Brown, said: “It is critical that people in the city selfisolate when they are asked to. Having this funding in place will make it easier for people to do what is needed and I’m pleased that this much needed support is coming forward.
“We are hearing examples of people not self-isolating at the moment and this is contributing to a rise in cases in the city. It’s incredibly important that the guidance is followed and any measures from government which help to ensure this happens are hugely welcomed.”
Under the current rules, people who have symptoms or have tested positive for coronavirus are required to self-isolate for at least 10 days.
Anyone who lives with someone who has symptoms or who has tested positive, or who has been told to selfisolate by NHS Test and Trace, must do so for 14 days. More information can be found on the NHS website. Self-isolation is now a legal requirement, with fines of up to £10,000 for people who break the rules.
Simon Harris, left, chief executive of Stoke-on-trent CAB, hopes the simplicity of the flat-rate support scheme will mean payments are sent out quickly to those in need. He said: “For some people, £500 – £250 a week if you’re self-isolating for a fortnight – will be enough. But if you’ve got a large family and you’re the sole earner, it might not be. But I can understand why they want to keep the scheme as simple as possible.
“I think the success of this scheme will depend on how well they assess people’s eligibility, and how quickly they get the money out. If people are self-isolating they’ll need the money straight away, rather than in six weeks. But with the previous funds, local authorities have been able to get the money out of the door quite quickly.”
Mr Harris added that some people will need help accessing services such as home delivery, in addition to financial support.