From today (Tuesday 1st September), workers who are on low incomes and work in regions of England where there are high rates of Covid-19 cases will be able to claim up to £182 if they have to self-isolate and are not able to work from home.
Eligibility for self-isolation payment for low-income workers
The Government payment benefit, which equates to £13 a day, is available to those who are:
- Employed or self-employed;
- Are not able to work from home; and
- Receive Work Tax Credit or Universal Credit.
For those who test positive for Covid-19, they are required to self-isolate for 10 days and are subsequently eligible to claim and receive £130.
However, for those living in a household with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus, their period of self-isolation is 14 days, which means that they are entitled to receive up to £182, assuming they meet the above criteria.
Similarly, for those who have come into contact with a person with a confirmed case of Covid-19 and have been told to self-isolate via the NHS Test and Trace system, they are also able to claim the benefit, depending on the amount of time they have been told to isolate for.
The benefit will initially be trialled in Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle, and Oldham.
The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, commented on the new payment scheme:
“The British public have already sacrificed a great deal to help slow the spread of the virus. Self-isolating if you have tested positive for Covid-19, or have come into contact with someone who has, remains vital to keeping on top of local outbreaks.
“This new payment scheme will help people on low incomes and who are unable to work from home to continue playing their part in the national fight against this virus.”
In order to claim via the benefit scheme, those eligible will need to provide proof of a positive Covid-19 test result or a notification from the NHS Test and Trace system and a bank statement. For those who are self-employed, they will need to provide evidence of their trading income.
The Department of Health and Social Care has said that the payments to those eligible would be made within 48 hours of evidence being provided to them. They have also added that they will be carrying out stringent checks in order to prevent fraudulent claims.
Criticism
Since the announcement of the payment benefit scheme, the Government has faced heavy criticism for falling short in providing workers with the full income they would normally receive, if they didn’t have to self-isolate and were able to attend work.
Upon the announcement of the scheme, Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, commented that he had been “calling for weeks” for financial support to be provided to those asked to self-isolate but that this support was not sufficient enough and workers should receive their normal working pay from the Government during their period of self-isolation:
“I am pleased they have at last acknowledged this issue but am sorry to say this move goes nowhere near far enough.
“The health secretary has already said that he couldn’t live on Statutory Sick Pay at £95 a week. So how can an announcement like this work?
“For many workers in Greater Manchester, this will not provide the support people need to cooperate with NHS Test and Trace. Having belatedly acknowledged that something needs to be done, government must now accept the calls of the ‘time out to help out’ campaign and support people across the country to self-isolate on full pay.”
Labour leader of Pendle Borough Council, Mohammed Iqbal, added:
“I welcome the fact that there is a financial package in place but the figures that the government has introduced are really a slap in the face for those people who sadly test positive.”
How Nelsons can help
Laura Kearsley is a Partner in our expert Employment Law team.
If you have any questions in relation to the subjects discussed in this article, please contact Laura or another member of the team in Derby, Leicester or Nottingham on 0800 024 1976 or via our online form.