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Grants available to help Castle Point residents self-isolate

500 pounds grants available to those who need to self-isolate image

Grants available to help Castle Point residents self-isolate

Castle Point Borough Council has received extra funding from Essex County Council to reopen its scheme to provide one-off support payments to residents asked to self-isolate.

Residents who need to self-isolate because they or a household member has tested positive for COVID-19 could get a £500 grant – whether or not they qualify for Government support.

Residents can apply for the Government or discretionary support at www.castlepoint.gov.uk/test-and-trace-support-payments

People who test positive for Covid-19 could be entitled to a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment from the Government.

However, many residents asked to self-isolate may be ineligible for the Government support payment. It is these people who this new fund aims to help.

People may not qualify for Government support because, for instance, they are on zero hours contracts, self-employed and trading for less than one year or self-employed without access to support because of low trading returns.

Castle Point Council has received £182,851 to ensure that those that must stay at home are given the financial means to do so. The £500 discretionary grant per resident will be a one-off payment to cover the two-week period of self-isolation. The funding is a per-head share of £3m distributed to councils across Essex.

Cllr Jeffrey Stanley Deputy Leader of the Council said ‘We welcome this additional support for Castle Point residents. This  extra funding will be used to provide support for

  • Those on low income and
  • who cannot work from home and
  • who stand to lose income as a direct result of self -isolating.

Cllr John Spence, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: “Throughout this pandemic we have emphasised the need to test and self-isolate. Now with the picture of rising rates we see this has never been of greater importance.

“Essex County Council want to help people to self-isolate without fear that self-isolation will worsen their personal finances. That is why we have secured these funds from the Government.”