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
