Self-Isolation Payments for low income families

Any pupil who is identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 is required to self-isolate at home for a period of 10 days. 

If a parent or carer on a low income needs to take time off work to care for their child while they remain at home and this results in a loss of income, they may be eligible for financial support. 

Newcastle City Council administers a Test and Trace Support Payment scheme for which eligible parents or carers can apply for £500 one off support. 

To qualify they must meet the following criteria: 

• The parent or carer of the child or young person must live in the same household, and 
• needs 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), and 
• They are employed or self-employed, and 
• They are unable to work from home while undertaking caring responsibilities and will lose income as a result, and 
• They or their partner are currently receiving at least one of the following benefits: 

• Universal Credit 
• Working Tax Credit 
• income-based Employment and Support Allowance 
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance 
• Income Support 
• Housing Benefit 
• Pension Credit 

And 

• The child or young person they care for: 

• is aged 15 or under (or 25 or under with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC) and normally attends an education or childcare setting, and 
• has been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or by their education or childcare setting because they have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 

Applications can be made online at: 

https://newcastle.gov.uk/TestandTraceSupportPayments 

Supporting evidence will be required with the application including a copy of the letter from the child’s school instructing them to self-isolate. 

As part of the verification process the Test and Trace Support Payment team will make contact with the school via telephone or email to confirm the applicable child has been asked to self-isolate by the school due to being identified as a close contact. This is not a GDPR issue as this check is made clear to applicants. Please pass this on to office staff who might take such a call.

The payment will be made within 3 working days of a successful application. 

Emotional and Mental Health Support

Below are resources and websites that we recommend to help you with the emotional and mental health challenges you might face during this time. We hope you find them useful! 😊

Mental Well-being 

Finding the calm - activities to help you stay positive 

Information for Young People about the Coronavirus

Help for children and young people

Mindfulness and Relaxation Resources

Bereavement and Grief