Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether people with no recourse to public funds are eligible for test and trace support payments.

To qualify for the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, individuals must be employed or self-employed, unable to work from home, will lose income as a result of self-isolating, and be in receipt of certain ‘public funds’ benefits. Therefore, people with no recourse to public funds are not eligible for test and trace support payment.

However, a discretionary fund akin to the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme, in the form of a £500 discretionary payment, paid by local authorities is available to those with no recourse to public funds, provided they meet the criteria set by the local authority for discretionary payments in their area. Further information on this scheme can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-claiming-financial-support/claiming-financial-support-under-the-test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme

The Government remains committed to protecting vulnerable people and has acted decisively to ensure that we support everyone through this pandemic.