Bedford people to get increased support if they need to self-isolate

Bedford Borough Council is making the Test and Trace Support Payment available to more people and has increased the Support Payment to £700.

This means it will cover the earnings of someone working full time on the Living Wage.

In Bedford borough, an individual is eligible for a Test and Trace Support Payment if:

They have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, and

Have responded to the Test and Trace messages about their contacts, and

Are unable to work from home, and

Either:

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, or

Are on a low income (household earns less than £25,000 per year) and can show that self-isolation will result in financial hardship

If you have any symptoms of coronavirus: high temperature, self-isolate and book at test hereAlso, anyone contacted by NHS Test and Trace and asked to self-isolate, must do so for the full amount of time they are told.

Councillor Michael Headley, portfolio holder for finance and welfare, said: “By increasing this payment by £200 and making it available to more people, we are making it easier for those on the lowest incomes to self-isolate when they are required to. It is important for all of us that people can self-isolate when told to and prevent the spread of the virus.

“You can apply for this payment and find out more via our website by visiting here”

The Government provides a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment, which the council is topping up to £700 from the Local Outbreak Management Fund.