Isolation benefit if you're isolating due to coronavirus

Who can claim Isolation benefit

You can claim Isolation Benefit if you have been instructed to isolate by Public Health because you're at risk of transmitting coronavirus.

Public Health advice on isolation

To qualify for Isolation Benefit, you must be:

1. known to Public Health because you've:
• called the helpline and been instructed to isolate
• completed the pre-departure registration form
  
• been contacted by the helpline or track and trace team and instructed to isolate
  
2. normally employed or self-employed
   
3. working age (between compulsory school leaving age and pension age)
   
4. not in receipt of a Government of Jersey old age pension
   
5. not working from home because:
• it's not possible for you to do your job from home, or
• you're too unwell

Applicants who choose to isolate rather than be tested on arrival will not qualify for Isolation Benefit unless they can evidence a valid medical reason for refusing a test.

Failure to provide evidence may result in a claim being delayed or rejected.

How to apply for Isolation Benefit

You can apply using the online form at the end your isolation period. This is because you may receive test results or develop symptoms that change the end date of your isolation.

Once your isolation period ends, you should apply as soon as possible. 

Claims made more than 30 days from the end of isolation cannot be made using the online form and will only be considered where you can provide a valid reason for not applying sooner.

Email Health.Zone@gov.je or call on +44 (0) 1534 444444 for further advice or if you're concerned about income during your isolation period.

Apply for Isolation Benefit

Amount payable

Isolation Benefit is paid at the standard rate of (up to) £32.14 per day for the duration of your isolation period where the isolation period is longer than a day.

Your isolation period must be claimed in strict accordance with your Public Health instruction to isolate.

Isolation Benefit cannot be paid for more than 24 days.

If you're not normally employed or self-employed prior to isolating, you may not qualify or receive the full rate of benefit if you have not paid full Social Security contributions in the relevant quarter. We'll work out how much benefit you'll get by looking at your Social Security contributions.

If you have symptoms and are unwell for more than 24 days you may qualify for Short Term Incapacity Allowance (STIA) once your Isolation Benefit claim has ended.

Find out more information about claiming STIA.

How does this effect other benefits

Other contributory Benefits

You may not receive the full standard rate of benefit, or any payment at all if you are claiming another contributory benefit as the maximum amount of contributory benefit payable at any one time is capped at the standard rate of benefit. We will check to see if you have any overlapping benefit claims and adjust your claim accordingly.

Other contributory benefits include:

• Short Term Incapacity Allowance
• Long Term Incapacity Allowance
• Invalidity Benefit
  
• Home Carer's Allowance
• Parental Allowance
• Incapacity pension
• Survivors Pension
• Survivors Allowance*

* Survivors Allowance is paid at the standard rate of benefit plus 20%

Income Support

If you are part of a household that has an Income Support claim, a payment of Isolation Benefit may cause an overpayment of Income Support which will need to be recovered at a later date. We will notify you of any changes to your Income Support claim as a result of any claim for Isolation Benefit.