Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure applicants to the Government’s covid-19 self-isolating payment scheme who are unable to provide the required evidence due to testing delays receive payment.

Anyone who meets the eligibility criteria and is asked to self-isolate on or after 28 September will be entitled to the Test and Trace Support Payment, even if their local authority has not yet established the scheme.

Individuals will be able to apply to receive payment within two weeks of their period of self-isolation ending, for the duration of the scheme. Where necessary, payments will be backdated from 28 September 2020.