Medway Council - Continued Support for Residents Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic

Medway Council has topped up the funding available to support residents on lower incomes, who have been told to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace service or the NHS COVID-19 app.

The £500 Test and Trace Support Payment will help residents during their self-isolation period if they have tested positive for coronavirus or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

Residents who were told to isolate by NHS Test and Trace after 28th September, or were identified as a close contact by the NHS COVID-19 app from 10th December 2020, and meet the qualifying criteria, are able to apply for the £500 payment on the council’s website. If successful, the funding will be paid as a lump sum however, the payment will be subject to income tax. The scheme will run until Wednesday, 31st March 2021.

To be eligible for the standard scheme, residents must:

• live in Medway
• have been asked to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace Service, or identified as a close contact by the NHS COVID-19 App from 10th December 2020
• be employed or self-employed
• be 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 Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.

Although the council has received £174,500 government funding to provide discretionary Test and Trace Support Payments to residents on low incomes who do not receive a qualifying benefit, it has already distributed £223,000 to residents who needed the £500 payment the most.

Medway Council has topped up the funding with a further £250,000, from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF), to continue to support residents affected by the pandemic. This discretionary scheme runs alongside the standard Test and Trace Support Payment scheme which is also being managed by the council.

Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said:

“As we all know, if you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace or notified through the app that you need to self-isolate you are legally obliged to do so. We understand that some residents on lower incomes may face further financial difficulties if they are told to self-isolate and this is why we have decided to top-up the Test and Trace Support Payments funding. I would encourage residents to visit our website to find out more about the support available. We must all continue to follow the latest government advice to reduce the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones.”

Residents who do not have access to the internet can call: 01634 306000 to speak to an officer who will help them with their application.

For more information, and to apply, visit: medway.gov.uk/testandtracepayment

Medway Council

Changes to Southeastern Timetable from 8th and 22nd February 2021

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some Southeastern train times will change from Monday 8th February, with some further amends from Monday 22nd February.

These changes reflect current levels of demand, the availability of Southeastern colleagues and will ensure that those passengers who need to travel have as comfortable a journey as possible.

Many services will remain unchanged.

For a summary of changes and to check your journey before you travel, visit >> www.southeasternrailway.co.uk/timetable

Upchurch Matters

Upchurch Parish Council - February 2021 Monthly Meeting Agenda

Upchurch Parish Council will be holding the above meeting via Zoom on Thursday 4th February 2021 at 7:30pm.

Virtual meetings are open to members of the public.

Anyone wishing to join should contact the Clerk for the login details, they will also be allowed to raise questions or comments to Councillors during public time.

Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council
Tel: 01622 739324

Email: clerkupc@outlook.com

Website: www.upchurchpc.kentparishes.gov.uk

NHS Kent and Medway CCG - Community Bulletin

Covid-19 vaccine update

Covid-19 vaccines services are running across Kent and Medway with more than 50 locations where people are being vaccinated.

As of 24th January 2021, 195,252 vaccines had been given in the county and thousands more are being delivered each day.

We are adding a weekly update to our website on Thursday afternoons. Read the latest

You’ll find links to our main vaccination page and frequently asked questions.

Please remember, you will be contacted when it is your time to get the vaccine.

Please do not phone GP surgeries, the CCG, or other NHS services with queries about when you will be able to get the vaccine.

Covid-19 vaccine scam alerts

Please watch out for fraudulent calls and text messages offering the Covid-19 vaccination

The fake text message (pictured above) takes you through to a bogus website that does appear to look like a genuine NHS site which asks for your banking details.

We would like to remind everyone the vaccine is only available from the NHS, there is no cost and eligible people will be contacted directly when it is their turn.

Please let friends and family know.

Could you be a plasma donor?

NHS Blood and Transplant is looking for anyone aged 17 years and older who has had Covid-19, particularly those who have been seriously ill and recovered, to donate blood plasma.

People from Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities are particularly encouraged to donate.

A new pop-up plasma donor centre has opened in Ashford and is based at County Square in Elwick Road.

You can find out more on the NHSBT website

New patient belongings drop off service at Medway Maritime Hospital

Medway Foundation Trust has launched a new service to enable patients to receive belongings from their loved ones while they are staying at Medway Maritime Hospital. Find out more

Read the full bulletin at >> http://bit.ly/3ri1Hdp

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group

Win a Valentine's Breakfast in Bed Hamper at Upchurch’s Co-op - Raising Money for MIND

Upchurch’s Co-op is fundraising again for their chosen charity partner this year, MIND - the mental health and support charity.

Win a Valentine's Breakfast in Bed Hamper

To be collected upon winning.

Enter in store for £1 per raffle strip - Please ask a member of staff at the till.

Good luck 🤞🏼

Read more about MIND at: www.mind.org.uk

Thank you 

Sally - Upchurch’s Co-op

Swale Borough Council - Supporting Families Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic

One hundred and ninety-seven families impacted by covid have received pre-packaged essential food boxes through Swale Borough Council’s covid winter support scheme.

The scheme is a partnership between the council, West Faversham Community Centre and Diversity House, who have processed and delivered a total of 398 food boxes to residents’ doors, supporting 707 people across the borough since its launch last month.

The boxes have been a helping hand to those who have had a change in their financial situation, received a positive covid test, are self-isolating following contact from the NHS Test and Trace system or experiencing a change of personal circumstances because of the pandemic.

Nine different pre-packaged essential food boxes including essentials such as pasta, soup, fruit, cereal, toilet roll and handwash, alongside vegetarian, Free-From, Afro-Caribbean, Eastern European, and Asian boxes to meet the various dietary, cultural and religious needs of local residents are available, and each box provides enough food for seven days.

Cllr Richard Palmer, cabinet member for community at the council, said:

“The winter support scheme is a new service that is in direct response to those who are suffering hardship because of the covid pandemic.

“So far we’ve delivered 355 pre-packaged essential food boxes to people who are struggling to feed their families.

“West Faversham Community Centre and Diversity House have been working hard to process applications and deliver boxes to people’s doors.

“We’re aiming to deliver a minimum of 2,000 boxes this winter, so I encourage anyone who has received a reduction in income, loss of employment, positive covid test result or other change in personal circumstance due to the pandemic to get in touch.

“Once your application is submitted, our community support team will carry out an assessment. If successful, an essential food box will be delivered to you within a couple of days.

“We know this has been a difficult year for people and we’re doing everything we can to help support families experiencing exceptional hardship this winter.”

For more information and to apply for the winter grant scheme visit: www.swale.gov.uk/cwgs

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible people must:

• have recently been made unemployed within the last two months and are still out of work
• have been furloughed and receiving less income
• have lost income because you cannot work from home
• are not already receiving support from Kent Support and Assistance Service (KSAS), local foodbanks or food support services
• are currently self-isolating because of a positive Covid-19 test or you’ve been contacted by NHS Test and Trace
• are currently receiving support from the Swale Borough Council self-isolation payments
• are leaving your home because of domestic abuse
• are currently living in temporary accommodation
• have recently been discharged from hospital.

Those not eligible include people who:

• are quarantining after travelling abroad (unless you test positive during the 14-day quarantine period)
• continue to receive full wages
• are self-isolating without a positive Covid-19 test result or without being contacted by NHS Test and Trace
• are already regularly receiving support from KSAS, local foodbanks or food support services.

Swale Borough Council