People in Rutland who are self-isolating because of COVID-19 can now receive financial assistance from the government, if they meet certain eligibility criteria.

You are now required by law to self-isolate if you develop any COVID-19 symptoms – a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell.

Rutland County council warns you must also self-isolate if you received a positive COVID-19 test result (whether or not you have symptoms). The same applies if you live with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms or has received a positive test result.

Under the government's Test and Trace support scheme, people who are self-isolating may be entitled to receive a payment of £500. In order to qualify for a payment, people living in Rutland must meet all of the following criteria:

Must have been contacted by the NHS and told to self-isolate as you've either tested positive yourself, or been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19

Must be employed or self-employed

Must be unable to work from home, and will lose income as a result

Must be receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based

Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit currently

Must not have already received a payment for your current period of self-isolation

Coun Gordon Brown, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: "The government's new Test and Trace payment scheme has been set up to help people who are on lower incomes, who cannot work from home and have lost money because they have been told to self-isolate.

"Rutland's local scheme is up and running to administer these self-isolation payments. Not everyone who is self-isolating qualifies for the payment, so please read the eligibility criteria carefully.

"Anyone who does qualify needs to submit an application, while people who started to self-isolate from 28 September can receive backdated payments."

Those who do not meet the criteria for a Test and Trace support payment may be able to receive a discretionary payment, instead.

Further details can be found here.