If your child has to self-isolate due to a case of coronavirus in their year group bubble, you may be able to get a £500 support payment – even if you’re not on benefits.
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With cases of COVID 19 on the rise, Track and Trace are telling more and more people to self-isolate.
For kids, as they are in larger group bubbles when one child is off, it can cause whole year groups to be sent home.
If you can continue to work from home, trying to balance your job and homeschooling may be a pain.
But, it can mean a loss of income for those who cannot work from home and cause a huge strain on family finances.
Get support if your child is self-isolating
In a tweet from Martin Lewis, he flagged that parents may be missing out on a COVID grant when kids are sent home from school.
Many people know they can get a £500 payment if they are on a low income and are asked to self-isolate by Track and Trace.
However, as a parent, if your child is being asked to self-isolate and you cannot continue working from home, you can still claim the payment.
The tweet reads:
“Many children are being sent home by school due to someone in class / year group bubble testing +ve for Covid.
“If so, and you then can’t work due to needing to be home with them, this (not just NHS test & trace) can trigger the £500 payment for those on low incomes.”
How to apply for the Test and Trace Support Payment
It doesn’t matter if you’re employed or self-employed. If you or your child have been told to self-isolate and you cannot work from home (therefore will lose income), you can look to apply for the Test and Trace Support Payment.
You need to claim within 42 days of you or your child’s first day of self-isolation.
Your child will need to be 15 or under, or 25 or under if they have an Education, Health and Care plan (EHC).
You will need to show evidence that your child has been told to self-isolate. If you don’t have this from Test and Trace, you can show proof that the school has asked.
You will also need to receive certain benefits.
For parents who don’t claim any benefits, a discretionary fund is available for people on a low income but don’t meet all criteria.
Councils may run their schemes slightly differently, but as a guide, they consider a low income is if your normal gross basic pay is not above £10 per hour.
In England, you need to apply through your local council.
Similar schemes are also run:
- self-isolation support scheme in Wales
- self-isolation support grant in Scotland
- support if you’re in Northern Ireland
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