Cllr Steve Darling, Leader of Torbay Council, said: “From 28 September, the UK government announced that there will be a new legal duty on all UK residents who test positive for COVID-19 or are identified by the NHS Test and Trace as a close contact, requiring them to self-isolate.”

Cllr Darren Cowell, Deputy Leader of Torbay Council, said: “As this new legal duty may impact your ability to work and earn a living, the government has introduced a scheme for those who are having to self-isolate and this scheme will run until 31 January 2021. As a local authority, we want to support our residents as much as possible during this challenging period and are here to help our residents access those payments.”

What are Self-Isolation Payments?

People who receive notification from NHS Test, Track and Trace with a unique 8 digit identifier number, and are eligible under the scheme criteria, will receive:

• £500 if they have tested positive for coronavirus and must self-isolate for 10 days (from the point they first developed symptoms or from the date they tested positive if they do not have symptoms)
• £500 if a member of their household has tested positive for coronavirus and they are told to self-isolate for 14 days (from the point the other household member first developed symptoms or from the date they tested positive if they did not have symptoms)

To be considered for a payment you must satisfy the following criteria:

• live in Torbay
• have been notified to self-isolate on or after 28 September, not before
• have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace either because you’ve tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
• are employed or self-employed
• are unable to work from home and will lose income as a result
• are 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
• make a claim within 14 days of the last day of your self-isolation

You must meet all of the above criteria to be eligible for a payment.

You will receive this payment via into your bank account. This payment will be for £500 and is subject to tax. However, you will not be taxed at the point of payment and will be contacted by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at a later date.

Before you make an application make sure you have the following information:

• your unique ID number as provided by the NHS Test & Trace
• your national insurance number
• your full name
• your date or birth
• your contact telephone numbers including a working mobile number
• full names, dates of birth and national insurance numbers for everyone living in your household
• your current full address and postcode
• details of benefits you receive and how much you get

You will also need to provide us with evidence of your NHS Test & Trace notification, bank statements and proof of employment.

Pre-register

The scheme will be up and running by the 12 October in line with government guidelines but you can pre-register by visiting our test and support payments page. We will then contact you once the application process is available.