SUPPORT SCHEME NOW OPEN FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS UNABLE TO WORK WHEN CHILDREN ADVISED TO SELF-ISOLATE

Parents and guardians in South Lakeland unable to work as a result of caring for a child or young person who have been advised to self-isolate by their education setting or by NHS Test and Trace can now apply for a support payment.

A Test and Trace Support payment, or discretionary payment of £500, subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, is available to parents and guardians of children who have been advised to self-isolate due to coronavirus on or after 8 March 2021.

The claim for a child or young person (aged up to or including 15 years old or 25 or under with an Education, Health and Care Plan) must be made within six weeks of the child or young person’s first day of self-isolation and the claimant must be:

• employed or self-employed, unable to work from home and will lose income as a result;
• be currently receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.

This scheme is in addition to the existing Test and Trace Support Payment scheme to continue to support those on low incomes who cannot work if they themselves have been advised to self-isolate.

The special discretionary payments scheme is available for those who cannot work from home but do not meet the criteria for the Test and Trace main scheme and/ or Parent and Guardian main scheme but have less than £3,000 total capital and ordinarily earn less than £26,000 per year, or £500 per week before any deductions.

Funding for the schemes has come through the Department of Work and Pensions, as well as £125,000 of government support passed on to Cumbrias district authorities by the county council.

Go to www.southlakeland.gov.uk/council-tax-and-housing-benefit/benefits/test-and-trace-support-payment for more information about all three schemes and to apply.

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