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Test and Trace support payment for non-self isolating parents or guardians

Update - Test and Trace Support scheme will close on 24/02/2022 and no further applications will be accepted after 06/04/2022.

From 8 March 2021, parents or guardians who are not legally required to self-isolate can apply for a Test and Trace Support Payment or discretionary payment if they need to take time off work to care for a child or young person who is.

Test and Trace support payments of £500 are available.

To be eligible for the Test and Trace support payment you must meet all the following criteria:

  • you are the parent or guardian of a child or young person in the same household and need 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. 
  • you are employed or self-employed. 
  • you cannot work from home while undertaking caring responsibilities and will lose income as a result. 
  • you meet all the other means-tested eligibility criteria for a Test and Trace Support Payment or locally determined criteria for a discretionary payment. 

And your child or young person: 

  • 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. 
  • 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. 

Backdating 

  • The child or young person must have been told to self-isolate on or after 8 March 2021 and on or before 23 February 2022 
  • Applications can be backdated to this point and the parent or guardian will be eligible for the payment if they meet all the other eligibility criteria (for the main scheme or the discretionary scheme). 
  • You should apply within 42 days from the date of your child’s or young person’s self-isolation

The payment will be made in one lump sum and will be subject to Income Tax.

You can download our Privacy Notice here (PDF, 450Kb).

In order to apply you will need to provide the following evidence. Either:

  • the child’s eight-digit NHS Test and Trace ID number. This is for parents and guardians of children or young people who have received a notification directly from NHS Test and Trace telling them to self-isolate.  

or

  • a communication from the child or young person’s education or childcare setting confirming that they have to self-isolate. This is for parents and guardians of children or young people who have been told to self-isolate by their education or childcare setting because they have been identified as a close contact of someone who has tested positive. 

or 

  • a screenshot of a young person’s NHS COVID-19 App notification telling them to self-isolate AND evidence that the young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan. This is for parents or guardians of young people aged 16-25 who have additional support needs and who have been notified to self-isolate by the NHS COVID-19 App. 

Plus

  • A bank statement
  • Proof of employment, or if you are self-employed, self-employment assessment returns, trading income and proof that you cannot work from home and will lose income as a result. 

We may need to check your child’s or young person’s details with their education or care setting.

If you are applying for a Discretionary Payment we may need to ask you for further information

Local residents, who are eligible for a test and trace support payment, can apply here. Details on the support scheme can be downloaded below.

Test and trace support payment

You can find out additional information about the test and trace process on the NHS Test and Trace webpage.

Lewes Test and Trace Discretionary Scheme

Lewes Test and Trace Discretionary Scheme
Summary:
File Size: 243KB
Type: Files / Images
Created: 24 November 2020
Last Modified: 24 November 2020

If you receive a Self-Isolation Payment you must self-isolate. 

Please visit the NHS website for more details of the NHS Test and Trace self-isolation requirements for those:

  • testing positive and
  • those who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive and has now been told to self- isolate by NHS Test and Trace.