- 04/02/2021
- Posted by: Lesley Griffiths MS
- Category: News
People in Wrexham asked to self-isolate via the NHS Covid-19 app will now be eligible to apply for the £500 self-isolation support payment.
Member of the Senedd for Wrexham, Lesley Griffiths has welcomed the latest Welsh Government announcement.
Now app users who have been notified to self-isolate by the Test Trace Protect system will be entitled to financial support, along with parents and carers on low incomes whose child has been asked to self-isolate by their education setting.
The self-isolation support scheme is for those on low income, who cannot work from home and must self-isolate.
To be eligible to apply, app users will need to be either employed or self-employed and be unable to work from home, which would result in a loss of income. The applicant or their partner must 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.
A temporary solution has been set up allowing users to apply for the payment by contacting the Local Authority. Until the app is updated to verify individuals who have been asked to self-isolate, users will need to show evidence that the app has asked them to self-isolate, in addition to evidence of reduced income when applying.
Local authorities will be able to accept and process applications for payments from Friday 5 February and applicants will be able to apply up to three weeks from their last date of isolation.
Lesley Griffiths MS said: “Asking people to self-isolate is an important way to break the transmission of the virus but for many people it can mean a loss of income which they can ill afford.
“Since first becoming operational in November, the £500 payment has provided financial security to many on low incomes. By expanding the scheme for app users, the Welsh Government is helping remove even more financial barriers faced by those needing to self-isolate.”
