FREEDOM Day does not mean that Covid financial help stops.
Thousands of people are being urged to claim for payouts, including £500 if your children have been sent home from school to self-isolate.
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Despite the country opening up on Monday, many support schemes are still on offer.
With Covid cases spiking again, 750,000 children are missing the end of term after being told to quarantine due to positive cases in their class bubbles.
Lower-income parents on benefits can claim £500 if they need to take time off work to look after isolating kids.
And some lower-paid adults also qualify for the payout if they have been told to quarantine by the NHS app.
You can even get the £500 if you have already had the payout due to a previous self-isolation.
Two million British people are still being paid through the furlough scheme — and you can join them rather than being laid off.
Some employers are considering job cuts as they find it tough to cover the costs of chipping in to contribute to the Government’s job-protection scheme.
So ask your boss for furlough rather than a P45.
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Self-employed workers can still get grants for their lockdown-hit businesses.
Do not forget £20-a-week extra benefit payments for millions, while £50 bike repair vouchers must be used by next month.
And holiday firms promise vouchers or refunds if overseas trips are hit by green-list changes.
Below is our guide to what you can claim.
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TOLD TO SELF-ISOLATE
PEOPLE on many benefits qualify for a £500 Test and Trace Support Payment if they need to take time off work as they — or their child aged under 16 — has been told to self-isolate by the NHS or a school.
Some lower earners not on benefits also qualify. Apply through your local council.
MoneySavingExpert.com said: “Many children are being sent home from school because someone in their bubble has tested positive.
“Remember it’s not a one-off payment, meaning you can claim every time your child is required to self-isolate.”
PAYMENT: £500 each time
FURLOUGHED
DON’T forget the furlough scheme, which pays you 80 per cent of your wages, is running until the start of October.
And remind your boss they can put you back on the scheme if your employer is struggling.
Many firms are feeling the pinch after they had to start contributing ten per cent of furloughed workers’ salaries from this month, with the Government share cut to 70 per cent.
Which? said: “Furloughed workers will continue to receive 80 per cent of their salary throughout the time to the end of September.”
PAYMENT: 80 per cent of your usual pay, up to £2,500 a month.
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SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS & FIRMS
THE Self-Employed Income Support Scheme’s final grant is set to open for applications.
It covers 80 per cent of sole traders’ usual profits across three months up to the end of September — worth up to £2,500 per month. Apply via HMRC.
Businesses that do not qualify for other financial support can claim the Additional Restrictions Grant.
Payouts can run into thousands and are organised on a discretionary basis by local councils. But firms can no longer apply for Bounce Back Loans, as the scheme has shut.
PAYMENT: Thousands
BENEFITS BOOST FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES
MORE than five million UK households on Universal Credit still qualify for a £20-a-week boost to their payment until autumn.
The top-up is worth £1,000 a year. Those who qualify should get payments automatically. If you are not receiving them, contact your Jobcentre.
The scheme is due to be cut or scrapped after the summer.
Campaigners urge people who qualify to make sure they receive it, saying it helps to prevent poverty for families whose finances have been hit by the lockdowns.
PAYMENT: £20 a week
. . . AND DON’T FORGET
- TWO million furloughed workers can cash in by bagging a second job and still retaining their furlough pay. You just need to get your manager’s permission first.
- If you got one of the 500,000 Fix Your Bike vouchers, covering cycle repairs up to £50, you need to get a pedal on and use them, as they expire if not redeemed by August 31.
- If your holiday gets cancelled or your flights are messed up due to green-list travel rule changes, insist your operator gives you a voucher or a refund. Almost all of them operate Covid policies.
- PAYMENT: Can run into thousands
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said Sajid Javid is looking at an ‘appropriate, balanced and proportionate’ approach for isolation when people are contacted by the NHS app
