Applications for isolation payments in Ipswich go up by over 1000%
The number of people applying for help with isolation has rocketed.
The number of people applying for isolation payments in Ipswich has gone up over 1000% in just a month.
That's according to the Borough Council who told us in the first two weeks of June they received 5 applications.
That jumped to 64 over the same fortnight in July - an increase of 1180%.
What are isolation payments?
The £500 Test and Trace Support Payment is for people on low incomes who have to self-isolate due to coronavirus.
People who are employed, self-employed, cannot work from home, and will lose income as a result can be eligible for the grant from the Government.
People can only apply though if they've been told to isolate by the NHS Test and Trace team, notified through the Covid app, or they're the parent or guardian of a child who has been told to self-isolate.
Figures released yesterday also saw big rises in the number of people getting told to self-isolate in Ipswich by the Covid app, with the so-called 'ping-demic' maybe accounting for the rise in payment applications.