Matt Hancock confirms payment for low-income people self-isolating in high risk areas

Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed that as of Tuesday September 1, people on either Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit, who are required to self-isolate and are unable to work from home, in areas with high incidences of Covid-19, will benefit from a new payment scheme.

Starting with a trial in Blackburn with Darwen, Pendle and Oldham – where so-called “local lockdown” restrictions have been imposed – eligible people who test positive for the virus will receive £130 for their 10-day period of self-isolation.

Other members of their household, who under the current rules have to self-isolate for 14 days, will be entitled to a payment of £182.

Non-household contacts who are advised to self-isolate through the NHS Test and Trace system will also be entitled to a payment of £13 per day up to a maximum of £182, dependent on the length of their isolation period.

The payment will not reduce any other benefits that a person may already receive, the Department for Health and Social Care said.

Payments will be provided within 48 hours of the eligible person providing all the necessary evidence, and to receive the payment people will be asked to provide a notification from NHS Test and Trace and a bank statement.

To be eligible, an individual must have tested positive for Covid-19 or received a notification from NHS Test and Trace asking them to self-isolate, have agreed to comply with the self-isolation guidance and provided contact details to the relevant local authority, be employed or self-employed, be unable to work from home and be losing income as a result and be currently receiving Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit.

Employed people will be asked to show proof of employment, while self-employed people will be required to show evidence of trading income and that their business delivers services which the local authority reasonably judges they are unable to carry out without social contact.

The department added that checks will be undertaken on all applicants to ensure they are self-isolating.