Claim financial support if you self-isolate

As part of the Government’s plan to support families when they self-isolate a payment of £500 is now available.

Please note – The Test and Trace payment is taxable if you are a taxpayer but it is not subject to National Insurance Contributions. HMRC will automatically collect tax from your pay through your tax code, or self-employed recipients should report the payment on their 20/21 Self Assessment tax return.

People on low-incomes who have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or are a parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate can now apply to North East Lincolnshire Council for a payment of £500.

Eligibility

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, we may still be able to help and we will consider your application for help from our discretionary fund. Please continue to complete the form and your details will be collected for future consideration.

Please note that in relation to the discretionary fund, you must have:

a weekly income if no more than £442.30 before deductions; or
a monthly income of no more than £1916.66 before deductions

and be responsible for at least one of the following household bills:

a mortgage
the rent
Council Tax

Parents and Guardians of children who have been told to self-isolate

If you are not legally required to self-isolate but you are the parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate, you are eligible for a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment of discretionary payment if all the following apply:

You are the parent or guardian of a child in your household who is self-isolating and you need to take time off work to care for them;
Your child is aged 15 or under, or is aged 16 to 25 with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, who normally attends an education or childcare setting and has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or by their education or childcare setting;
You are unable to work from home and will lose income because you have to care for your child while they are self-isolating;
And you meet all the other eligibility criteria for a Test and Trace Support Payment or discretionary payment.

Applying through the NHS Covid-19 app

Test and Trace Support Payment via the NHS COVID-19 app

From 10 December, you will be able to apply for the NHS Test & Trace Support Payment via the COVID 19 app.

Here’s a few things you need to know.

How does the app work? – you will be able to get the 8-digit NHS Test & Trace ID by following the instructions on the app, once you have this, you will then be able to complete the application form for the £500 support payment.
COVID 19 App Version – you need to be on version 4.0 (or higher) of the app to pick up the new features. To find out what version you are on, go to the NHS COVID 19 app, click on the ‘About this App’ button and scroll down until you see ‘Software Information. If you are not on the latest version, you can update it by going to your app store, search for the NHS COVID-19 app and select update.
Cases notified by app before than 10 December – if you were notified before 10 December and are still in your isolation period, you can still put a claim in via the app. If you no longer have this message, you will need to phone 119 and select option 2 – ‘Tracing’.
Deadline for contacting NHS Test and Trace service via the App – if you have been notified by the COVID 19 app that you have to self-isolate, you must engage with the main NHS Test & Trace service whilst you are still in your isolation period. You can still make a claim with us for the £500 support payment within 42 days of the start of your isolation, but you must have contacted the NHS Test & Trace and got your 8-digit Test and Trace ID within your self-isolation period.
How easy it to use the phone app to get your 8-digit Test and Trace – watch the video here which shows you what you will need to do.

Supporting evidence

You must submit supporting evidence to confirm your eligibility:

your 8 digit NHS Test and Trace reference asking you to self-isolate; and
a copy of the NHS Test and Trace notification you received. (This can be a photo of the letter or email, but it must clearly show the date you received the notification and the Test and Trace ID – notification via the NHS App cannot be accepted – see Test and Trace ID information below)
evidence of your employment and that you have reduced income as a result of self-isolation; and
that you are unable to work from home; and
if you are self-employed, proof of your trading income and that your business delivers services which cannot be undertaken without social contact; and
a copy of your latest bank statement, which shows your name, address, bank sort code and account number
if you are applying as the parent or guardian or a child/young person who has been told to self-isolate, the letter from your child’s education or care setting advising them to self isolate

Test and trace ID information

We cannot make a support payment unless you have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace, been told to self-isolate and have been given a valid Test and Trace ID.

All ID numbers are verified via NHS Test and Trace eligibility checker. When you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace you must ask them for this information or we will not be able to verify that you are self-isolating and you will not receive payment.

From 10 December, app users who are identified as contacts through the NHS COVID-19 app will be able to apply for the Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme (TTPS).

Apply now

To apply complete the test and trace support payment application or if you are unable to use our website you can call 01472 313131. Test and trace support payment application.

This content was originally published on North East Lincolnshire Council’s website, COVID-19: Test and trace support payment – NELC | NELC (nelincs.gov.uk).