Support payment FAQs
- I've received a notification to self-isolate from the NHS COVID-19 app, what do I do?
Please follow the information given on our NHS COVID-19 app notification page.
- Who will be eligible for the Test and Trace support payment?
To be eligible for the £500 support payment, you must meet all of the following:- Have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace because you've tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
- You comply with the notification from NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate
- You are employed or self-employed
- You are unable to work from home and will lose income as a result
- You are currently receiving one of the following:
- Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Pension Credit
- What will I need to apply for the Test and Trace support payment?
- Your 8-character NHS Test and Trace Account ID (from your notification from NHS Test and Trace asking you to self-isolate)
- Your National Insurance Number
- Your bank account details
- A copy of your latest bank account statement (one issued within the last two months) which must show proof of earnings
- If you are employed: proof of your employment and earnings (such as payslips, your contract of employment or confirmation from your employer) and proof of reduction in earnings for your self-isolation period (for example, a letter from your employer)
- If you are self-employed: proof of self-employment. For example, your most recent set of accounts or self-assessment returns and your most recent business bank account statements (within the last two months
- How much is the Test and Trace support payment?
If you are required to self-isolate and meet the eligibility criteria you will be entitled to £500 support grant. This will be paid as a lump sum.
- Will Test and Trace support payments be taxed?
These payments will be subject to income tax. They will not be subject to National Insurance contributions.
- When will the Test and Trace support payment scheme open?
You will be able to make an application to your Council from the 12 October 2020. People who are required to self-isolate from 28 September 2020 will be able to apply and request that the payment be backdated to 28 September 2020. This is the date that the Government introduced the Test and Trace support payment. No claim can be backdated beyond the 28 September 2020.
- What if my self-isolation started before the 28 September 2020 but ends after the 28 September 2020?
You must have been advised to isolate on or after the 28 of September 2020 in order to be eligible for this payment, not before this date.
- How many times can I apply for the Test and Trace support payment?
Someone can claim more than once (if they are told to self-isolate multiple times), as long as they meet the eligibility criteria for each individual claim and their periods of self-isolation do not overlap.
- Can I apply for the Test and Trace support payment on behalf of someone else who is self-isolating?
Applicants can apply on behalf of someone else, however the £500 must be paid into a bank account in the name of the person for whom the application is being made. For example, if someone applied on behalf of a parent, the payment would be made into the parent's bank account.
- Is the Test and Trace support payment per household or per person?
People in the same household can each make an individual application to receive the payment, if they each meet the eligibility criteria.
- Am I eligible for the Test and Trace support payment if I self-isolated when I'm on furlough?
You will not be eligible for the support payment if your loss of income is only due to furlough. If you are on part time furlough and will lose income as a result of self-isolating you can apply.
- Can I get the Test and Trace support payment for the time I am self-isolating whilst I wait for my test result?
You will not be able to get a support payment if your test is negative. If your test is positive, you will be told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace and receive a unique reference number which you can then use to apply.
- Is there a time limit on claiming the Test and Trace support payment?
You can apply for the payment up to 42 days after the first date you are told to self-isolate.
- Can I apply for the Test and Trace support payment if I am quarantining after returning to the UK?
The Test and Trace support payment scheme does not cover people who are self-isolating after returning to the UK from abroad, unless they have tested positive for coronavirus or have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace.
- When will I get the Test and Trace support payment?
Payments to eligible individuals will be within three working days of the Council receiving evidence to support an application. Payments will be a single payment, to the bank account matching the bank statement they have provided.