Nicola Sturgeon announces expansion of £ 500 self-isolation support payment



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The Prime Minister has announced that more people will have access to a self-isolation support payment of £ 500 from next week.

In her daily briefing, Nicola Sturgeon announced that the criteria would be expanded.

Under the current system, a grant of £ 500 is available to low-income people who have been asked by Test and Protect to self-isolate.

Sturgeon said the eligibility rules would be extended by a few days so that people can access the payment if one of their children has to be isolated from school or daycare and the person is unable to work during that period.

He also said the payment would be accessible to people if a local authority believes they would qualify for universal credit.

Sturgeon also confirmed that he will make a statement tomorrow on whether any areas of the local authority will move up or down on a covid level of restriction.

She said: “Over the course of today, we continue to assess those areas that are currently not at level 4, to see if we think that any area needs to go up one level to more stringent restrictions or, on the other hand, if any could go down one level. “.

He also said community coronavirus testing trials will help with plans to test asymptomatic “much more routinely” in the new year.

The Prime Minister said that asymptomatic tests were being offered in small communities where Covid-19 levels “continue to be of concern and are higher than the national average.”

The plan is being tested in various locations in central and western Scotland.

“The lessons we learn from these trials will inform our plans to expand community testing much more extensively and much more routinely early in the new year,” he said.



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