Mason Moore | Hinckley Reporter | 17 October 2020

HINCKLEY and Bosworth Borough Council are now financially supporting self-isolating qualifying residents who are low on income and have been told to self-isolate through the NHS Test and Trace service.

People in England have been required to self-isolate by law since Monday 28 September if they test positive for coronavirus, or they are told to self-isolate through the NHS Test and Trace Service.

The Test and Trace self-isolation support scheme is available to residents on low income that are unable to work from home, and whose finances have been reduced due to being isolated.

Residents who have been told to self-isolate from Monday 28 September to Sunday 31 January 2021 can claim a one-off payment of £500 to support them through the challenging self-isolation period.

If a person is not eligible and does not meet the main scheme criteria, they may be able to claim through Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council’s discretionary scheme instead.

Anyone wanting to make a claim has 14 days from the date their isolation ended to complete their application.

Council Leader comments

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Leader, Councillor Stuart Bray, said: “It’s important that we can support people whose income is significantly affected by isolation.

“This scheme will help relieve them of some of that worry while they’re doing the right thing by protecting our communities from spreading the virus further.

“I would encourage people in Hinckley and Bosworth to share this information with family and friends, so people are aware that there is financial support in place if they’re told to isolate and are unable to pay essential bills.

“It is important that any person asked to isolate follows the guidance to help reduce the spread of infection to people around them and their communities.”