Carers could be eligible for support payment

CARERS who need to take time off work under track and trace could be eligible for a support payment.

While some parents, guardians, or carers are not legally required to self-isolate, they may have to take time off work to support a child or young person who is in self-isolation.

Should this happen, people who fall into the below categories could be eligible for a one-off payment of £500 under the Test and Trace Discretionary Scheme.

To apply, you must meet all of the criteria:

• You are the parent or guardian of a young person in the same household and need to take time off work to care for them while they self-isolate. This is limited to one parent or guardian per household for the child or young person's self-isolation period.

• You are the parent or guardian of a young person in the same household and need to take time off work to care for them while they self-isolate. This is limited to one parent or guardian per household for the child or young person's self-isolation period.

• You are employed or self-employed.

• You cannot work from home while undertaking caring responsibilities and will lose income as a result.

• You meet all the other eligibility criteria for the Test and Trace support payment or discretionary scheme.

• Your child or young person:

  • is aged 15 or under (or 25 or under with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan) and normally attends an education or childcare setting.

  • has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or by their education or childcare setting because they have tested positive for Covid-19

Claims by the parent/guardian, or carer, can be made up to six weeks after the child or young person was told to self-isolate.

To apply for the scheme, click here.