To ask the Minister for Communities whether she has assessed if a single support payment could be made to everyone instructed to self-isolate due to COVID-19.

In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemicI moved quickly to introduce assistance for people who were required to self-isolate and were facing financial difficulties as a result.

I also introduced emergency changes to the scheme that were specifically designed to enhance the financial assistance provided.

When the Test and Trace Support payment was introduced in Britain in September 2020, five months after I made the enhancements to Discretionary Support, my Department assessed the effectiveness of both payment schemes. The Test and Trace payment provides a fixed amount regardless of family circumstances and is only available to people who have been told to self-isolate by the NHS Test & Trace service. They must also prove they are unable to work and have lost income as a result.

In contrast the Discretionary Support self-isolation grant is 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 an award will always take into account all dependent children in a household.

To further strengthen the financial support available through Discretionary Support, enhancements to the way in which payments are calculated were introduced in November 2020. My Department continues to assess the effectiveness of all emergency Covid support measures.