Issue - meetings

A Covid-19 Test and Trace Discretionary Payment Policy was approved by the Acting Chief Executive on the 4^th November 2020 under the urgency provisions of Standing Order 35 and pending review and ratification by this Committee. This followed government guidance on the award of £500 grants to support people on low incomes who are unable to work from home if they are told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace and will lose income as a result.

The policy exercised the discretion available to local authorities to extend the Government’s minimum eligibility criteria, i.e.: 

            Minimum criteria

·           Have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, either because they have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive;

·           Are employed or self-employed; and are unable to work from home and will lose income as a result of self-isolating;

·           Have signed up and completed the test and trace journey (receiving the initial notification to isolate will not qualify for the grant);

·           Are not 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; and

·           Who are on low incomes and will face financial hardship as a result of not being able to work while they are self-isolating.

            Discretionary payment – Tandridge additional criteria as relevant to the determination of whether a Discretionary Test and Trace Payment will be made

·           Individuals who have made a claim for Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit and it is likely that this claim will be successful;

·           Individuals from abroad who are excluded from claiming benefits but meet all the other statutory and discretionary criteria;

·           Individuals whose gross annual household income is less than £20,000 a year (£385 per week), although consideration will be given for higher annual incomes if the Council is provided with a suitable justification that is in the spirit of the grant;

·           The individual’s employer must confirm that, as a result of his/her isolation, s/he will lose pay as a result of the terms of his/her contract;

·           If the individual is self-employed, the self-employment must clearly be of the nature where s/he cannot work from home;

·           The individual does not have capital exceeding £6,000.

The Tandridge scheme for considering and allocating Covid-19 Test and Trace payments, was presented to the Committee.

            R E S O L V E D – that the Discretionary Covid-19 Test and Trace Payment           Scheme, detailed at Appendix A to the report, be ratified.