LOW-INCOME parents and carers whose children are self-isolating can soon apply for a £500 support payment.

The Welsh Government payment will support eligible parents and carers who have to take time off work to look after their children, in cases when a child has to self-isolate because of a coronavirus case at school or childcare setting.

To qualify, you must have a child attending a school or childcare setting up to and including in Year 8 – or up to age 25 if the learner has multiple and complex additional needs – and who has received a formal notification to self-isolate from Test Trace Protect or their education or childcare setting.

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People will be able to apply for the self-isolation payment via their local authority website from December 14, and payments will be backdated to October 23.

Parents or carers who are not on benefits, but meet the other criteria and are at risk of financial hardship, can apply to the scheme under the discretionary element to support.

“Working from home is not an option for everyone so when a child has to self-isolate, this can be a stressful period for parents and carers," first minister Mark Drakeford said.

“A significant number of people are losing income because they are unable to work while looking after children who cannot go to school or their normal childcare setting because of coronavirus.

“Extending this scheme will help ease the financial hardship some parents and are facing, helping them care for their children.”

The payment is an extension of the Self-Isolation Support Scheme, which was launched last month to provide financial support to people on low incomes, or facing financial hardship, when they were asked to self-isolate by the NHS Wales Test Trace Protect service.