People in the Welshpool area told to self-isolate for up to 14 days will be eligible for financial support from the Welsh Government if they are on low incomes.
Eligible individuals can receive a £500 fixed payment if they have tested positive for Coronavirus, or if they are asked to self-isolate by the Test Trace Protect service because they are a contact of someone with the virus.
The payment is available to people who are unable to work from home and cannot afford to self-isolate for two weeks. To qualify, you must be self-isolating and in receipt of Universal Credit or another specified benefit.
Powys County Council will play a role to distribute funds to residents and said applications for this scheme open at 3pm today (Monday) and will run until March 2021. Payments in Wales will be backdated to October 23 where applicable.
Cllr Aled Davies, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “Losing two weeks of pay when family finances are already stretched is hard, so we welcome this new Welsh Government scheme which will relieve some pressure and give many people in Powys the financial security they need to comply with the regulations.
“There is also a discretionary element to the scheme which will be available to a wider group of people who do not meet the criteria for the £500 payment but are suffering financial hardship as a result of self-isolation requirements.”
The £500 self-isolation payments can be applied for on the council’s website from 3pm today. Visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/9957/Isolation-payments
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter