Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether local councils have the jurisdiction to issue self-isolation payments to people who have been instructed to self-isolate but do not possess a reference number from NHS Test and Trace.
The Test and Trace Support Payment is available to people who are required to self-isolate, are on a low income and will lose income because they are unable to work from home. A pre-requisite for applying for a Test and Trace Support Payment or discretionary payment is an NHS Test and Trace Account ID. Those contacted by NHS Test and Trace local contact tracers will be provided with an account ID. Those contacted by the app will need to to request an account ID. Local authorities do not have the jurisdiction to issue self-isolation payments without this reference number.