Cash payments of £500 have been made to 417 people who have taken time off work to self-isolate with COVID-19 in North East Lincolnshire, totaling some £208,500.
North East Lincolnshire Council has made the payments to local residents who have had to take time off work to self-isolate due to COVID-19 since September last year.
To be eligible for the Test and Trace Support Payment, you must:
- have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or via the NHS COVID-19 App, either because you’ve tested positive for coronavirus or you have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
- have responded to messages received from NHS Test and Trace (which will have been received via a combination of email, text, letter or phone call) in which you have provided your contact details and where you have tested positive, the details of your contacts; and
- be employed or self-employed; and
- not have been on furlough in the week before you were asked to self-isolate; and
- be unable to work from home and will lose income as a result
- are on a low income and will face financial hardship as a result of having to self isolate
And currently receiving, or are the partner of someone in the same household who is receiving, any of the below benefits:
- Universal Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit
If you do not meet the last criteria, your application may still be considered for help from the discretionary fund.
To apply for a payment from the discretionary fund, you must have:
- A weekly income of no more than £375 before deductions; or
- A monthly income of no more than £1612.52 before deductions
If you have the symptoms of COVID-19, you should start to self-isolate immediately for 10 days to prevent the spread of the virus, protecting your friends, family members and colleagues. Do not wait to take a test.
Breaking these rules could see a person fined up to £10,000.
Councillor Stan Shreeve, deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance at North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “It’s important that those residents being hit hardest by coronavirus get the support that they need.
“This payment is expected to help offset the income lost by those who find themselves having to self-isolate and stay off work for a period.
“I would urge people who feel unwell and start to show symptoms of COVID-19 to self-isolate, book a test, and stop the spread of the virus.”
Applicants must have been advised by the NHS to self-isolate, and should be able to provide a Track and Trace reference number.
To find out more about the Test and Trace Support Payments, visit www.nelincs.gov.uk.
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