Question reference: S5W-34070
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 15 December 2020
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Current status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 December 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to people who are not eligible for the Self-Isolation Support Grant but who are required to self-isolate and who are being paid by their employer a lower amount of money than they would have otherwise earned.
Answer
The Scottish Government introduced the £500 Self-Isolation Support Grant on 12 th October 2020, to enable low income workers to self-isolate, when required to do so by Test and Protect. This helps to ensure they can self-isolate without suffering a financial loss.
The eligibility criteria were further extended on 7 December to include to people who are eligible for benefits but not currently in receipt of them, and to parents and carers of children who have been told to self-isolate at school
Those who are ineligible for the isolation grant, may however be eligible for an emergency Crisis Grant from their local authority. Crisis Grants are specifically designed to provide a safety net for individuals when an emergency situation occurs. In addition, support can provided via the self-isolation support Service which is a proactive outbound call service operated by local authorities. The service calls people who are self-isolating, and who have given their permission for their details to be passed to their local authority. This service helps with support to access food, medication, and other essentials, whilst also signposting to further advice services.
Help can also be provided by contacting The National Assistance Helpline on 0800 111 4000 which anyone can contact, and operates between 09.00 to 17.00 every weekday.