Self Isolation Support Grants

The Scottish Government has committed to providing a grant of £500 to certain individuals:

• those in receipt of a low income benefit, or
• those who have underlying eligibility for Universal Credit and who will experience reduced earnings as a result of them or their child being required to self-isolate to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

This will support people who would otherwise struggle to be able to afford to comply with the requirement to self-isolate. It will provide them with the financial support they need to meet their basic needs during the period in which they are unable to work.

Eligibility for the £500 grant is restricted to people who:

• have been required by the Test & Protect Service to self-isolate as a result of Covid-19, either because you have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.  The Test & Protect Service will add your name to their database.  This will be verified and we cannot award you a grant if your name is not on this database.
• are the identified appropriate parent or primary carer of a child under 16 who has been required by the Test & Protect Service, local public health team or local Incident Management Team to self-isolate.  Applications can be made from the 7th December. The requirement to self-isolate will be verified.

In addition, you must meet the following criteria:

• Are employed or self-employed
• Are unable to work from home and will lose income as a result
• Are currently in receipt or have been awarded but not yet received a payment of, or whose income is such that you would ordinarily be entitled to Universal Credit should an application have been made prior to your isolation:
  • Universal Credit
  • Working Tax Credit
  • Income-based Employment and Support Allowance
  • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income Support
  • Housing Benefit
  • Pension Credit
• You may also be eligible for the grant if you are on a low income and have no recourse to public Funds.  Although, the Scottish Welfare Fund cannot normally be accessed by people with no recourse to public funds we may be able to make a discretionary payment to people in this situation under Public Health legislation.

You can apply if you have been asked to self-isolate by the Test & Protect Service on or after 28^th September 2020. You must apply during your self-isolation period.  A claim cannot be made outside this period unless there is evidence of exceptional circumstances.  Backdated applications (28th – September – 6th December) from applicants who would qualify for the payment following the changes on 7th December are not being accepted.

The Self-Isolation Support Grant does not cover people who are self-isolating after returning to the UK from abroad unless they have tested positive for coronavirus or have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by the Test and Protect Service.

Evidence will be required to support your application including a notification from Test & Protect asking you to self-isolate, proof of receipt or award of one of the qualifying benefits, a bank statement, proof of employment/self-employment.  Without this evidence, we cannot award you a grant.

Payment will be made directly to your bank account.

If you do not meet the qualifying criteria you may be eligible to apply for a Crisis Grant. This grant is designed to help people on low incomes who find themselves in a financial crisis situation. You can find out more information and apply here.

HMRC have advised the £500 payment will be subject to income tax.