Benefits and Coronavirus
Read our latest guidance
On Thursday 26 March, the Chancellor announced support for self-employed people facing financial hardship. You can read about it in our news article.
On Friday 20 March the Chancellor announced additional support for people facing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. You can read about it in our news article.
Self-isolation due to health reasons
You may be entitled to help through benefits if you need to self-isolate because:
- You have coronavirus
- You have coronavirus symptoms, for example a high temperature or new continuous cough
- Someone in your household has coronavirus symptoms
- You’ve been told to self-isolate by a doctor or NHS 111
You may be entitled to benefits if you have to stay at home due government advice on coronavirus.
You can find what the current NHS advice is here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
No one in my household is sick
If no one in your household is sick (and you have not received advice from NHS 111 or a doctor that you need to self-isolate) please read our page on people experiencing financial hardship because of coronavirus. Coronavirus and social distancing
Also see our Frequently Asked Questions section at the bottom of this page.
Help from Benefits
There have been some rule changes to help people affected by coronavirus, please use our updated Benefits Calculator tool to see what help you can get.
Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
If you are an employee who needs to self-isolate, and you are not working, you should get statutory sick pay from your employer. You can only get this if you usually earn more than £118 per week.
You will get this from day-one of your self-isolation.
People on zero hours contract can still get Statutory Sick pay if they meet the conditions.
You claim Statutory Sick Pay from your employer. Read more about Statutory Sick Pay.
It is possible your employer may also pay you contractual sick pay, but you will need to check the terms of your employment contract.
Employment and Support Allowance
You may be able to get New-style Employment and Support Allowance:
- If you are a self-employed person self-isolating on government advice and not working, or
- If you are an employee self-isolating on government advice and not working and you usually earn less than £118 per week
You will get this from day-one of your self-isolation. New-style Employment and Support Allowance is based on your national insurance contribution record. This means you will need to have been working for most of the period between April 2017 and April 2019.
People who need to claim ESA because of coronavirus will not have to produce a fit note.
We have information on ESA and how to claim.
Universal Credit
You could get Universal Credit if you are self-isolating on government advice
- If you don’t qualify for Statutory Sick Pay or Employment and Support Allowance; or
- you need additional help on top of Statutory Sick Pay or New-style ESA.
There is a five-week wait before you get your first payment of Universal Credit. However, you can get help from day one through a Universal Credit Advance Payment. Advance payments have to be paid back, either out of your Universal Credit payments or, if you stop claiming Universal Credit, from your earnings.
People who need to claim Universal Credit because of Coronavirus will not have to produce a fit note.
Universal Credit is claimed online.
Self-employed claimants on Universal Credit who are required to stay at home or are ill as a result of coronavirus will not have a Minimum Income Floor (an assumed level of income) applied for a period of time while affected
People who claim Universal Credit because they are sick with coronavirus or are self-isolating on government advice will be treated as having Limited Capacity for Work. This means they will be entitled to a work allowance.
Face-to-face Health Assessments for Benefits Suspended
If you claim PIP or you claim ESA or UC because you have an illness or disability that affects your ability to work, you normally have to attend a face-to-face assessment.
Claimants on sickness and disability benefits will not be required to attend face-to-face assessments for three months from 16 March 2020.
New claims will be accepted as normal.
Jobcentre appointments suspended
The DWP has suspended all face to face appointments at Jobcentres for three months from 19 March 2020. Jobcentres will still remain open for those who need appointments, but the DWP is aiming to help most people online and over the phone.
Grants Search
To find out what help may be available from grant giving charities, you can use the Turn2us Grants Search