Benefits and Coronavirus (including if your income has stopped or been reduced)

Claiming benefits and Coronavirus (Universal Credits Website)

Council Tax

Claiming Child Benefit 

Please note this is not a function of Cannock Chase Council:
Parents of new-borns will still be able to claim child benefit despite the outbreak of coronavirus. Even though General Register Offices remain closed for now, parents can still claim child benefit without having to register their child’s birth first to ensure that they do not miss out.
First time parents will need to fill in child benefit claim form CH2 found online and send it to the Child Benefit Office. If they haven’t registered the birth because of coronavirus, they should add a note with their claim to let HMRC know.
Further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/dont-miss-out-claim-child-benefit-by-phone-or-post-hmrc-tells-new-parents
Form: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1kFrzY93VAq7nmr4pnH-xvOeuG1aOnGKy

Test and Trace Payments

From 28 September if you are in a low paid job, receive in-work benefits and have to take time off work to self-isolate you may be entitled to a lump sum payment of up to £500.
If this applies to you, please check this page regularly, our form is currently being prepared and will appear here soon (no later than 13 October)

Qualifying Criteria.

You will qualify for a £500 payment if you:

• Have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, either because you have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.
• Are employed or self- employed
• Cannot work from home and will lose money
• Are currently receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income based Jobseekers’ Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.

Other people may be able to apply but only if they would suffer severe hardship resulting from the isolation and lost income.
The payment is fixed amount of £500 for each separate period of isolation.
People may qualify several times for several periods of isolation provided the isolations are entirely separate and do not overlap.
Members of the same household (including partners) may each qualify for a £500 payment simultaneously provided each meets the qualifying criteria.
Employees who are ‘Furloughed’ are not eligible.

Application Payment Process.

Our online application form will be available here shortly, no later than 13 October.

You will need to provide the following information.

• A notification from NHS Test and Trace asking the claimant to self-isolate. 
• Proof of receipt of a qualifying benefit  
• Your most recent bank statement for the account the support payment will be paid into.
• Recent proof of employment or self employment, evidence of self-assessment returns, trading income and proof that the business delivers services which cannot be undertaken without social contact.

You will need to declare that that you cannot work from home due to the nature of your work and will lose income as a result of self-isolation.

Payment Process

Payments will be made by bank transfer into a verified bank account.
If you are overdrawn at the bank, you can exercise your first right of appropriation to ensure that the bank does not use the payment to pay the overdraft.  You should speak to your bank in the first instance, they may ask you to make your request in writing.

Last Updated: 02/10/2020