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:
And
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.
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! 😊
Finding the calm - activities to help you stay positive