Communities Minister announces enhancements to self-isolation grant in Northern Ireland

Payable via the Discretionary Support scheme, the grant will use higher daily rates of benefit to calculate award

Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has announced new enhancements to the self-isolation grant in Northern Ireland.

Reporting that, since the introduction of self-isolation grants on 25 March 2020 as part of the Discretionary Support scheme, the Department for Communities has made 14,800 awards with a total value of £2.1 million, the Minister said today that the enhancements will not require legislation and will be implemented immediately - 

'In practical terms my Department will now use higher daily rates of benefit when calculating the amount of an award. Decision makers are also now expected to take into account the impact of the financial shock of self-isolation when calculating the number of days to make an award for. This is appropriate as a sudden and temporary reduction in normal income levels will mean a person is at greater risk of experiencing hardship. Therefore, an award of living expenses to cover the whole period of self-isolation should now always be considered.'

In addition, while in England, Scotland and Wales the Test and Trace self-isolation payments offer fixed amounts of £500 for 14 days regardless of family circumstances, the Minister highlights that in Northern Ireland - 

'The self-isolation payments available here are targeted at those people who are in need and are always assessed based on their personal circumstances. This means that rather than a fixed payment regardless of the size of a family, we will always take into account all dependent children and include them in an award. For example, under the new rules, a couple with three children can receive £683 from Discretionary Support to cover a period of 14 days.

The Minister's statement to the Northern Ireland Assembly is available from commmunities-ni.gov.uk