Financial support for care workers and people on low income to self-isolate in Wales
Today (30 October) the First Minister has announced that two new schemes will be introduced to support people to self isolate.
One scheme will provide £500 isolation payments to those on a low income who are unable to work because they have been asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect Service. This is available to people who are in receipt of Universal Credit or another qualifying benefit.
The second scheme is a Statutory Sick Pay enhancement for social care workers. This will be available from 1 November 2020 - 31 March 2021. This will top careworkers up to their full pay if they are asked to self-isolate because they or someone in their household has coronavirus, or because they have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Wales Test Trace Protect.
Self isolating will become a legal requirement.
We anticipate further detail about how to access the schemes.
In an announcement made at lunch time the First Minister also indicated that there was unlikely to be a return to local lockdowns after 9 Novermber. The restrictions that will be on a Wales-wide basis following the fire-break lockdown are expected to be announced on 2 November (watch the announcement here).
