Covid Related Emergency Support Scheme (CRESS)
Version 2: 30 June 2020
Extension 1st July-31 August inclusive (subject to travel restrictions)
The Minister for Social Security decided to implement a Covid-19 related emergency support scheme (CRESS) to make payments to a person or couple who have lost their full-time employment income as a result of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
This scheme is specifically targeted at a group of residents who have lived in Jersey for less than 5 years and who normally receive no regular financial support from government and are self-sufficient in income terms. Under current employment conditions, many in this group will lose most or all of their normal employment income. Without any government help, and limited possibilities to repatriate workers to their home country, this group has very little prospect of being able to meet basic living costs. The scheme is also available to individuals who have recently arrived in Jersey to take up work but have been unable to do so.
The aim of this scheme is to provide a weekly payment to support basic living costs.
The timeline and conditions of the CRESS scheme have been amended from 1st July 2020. See section 2 for further details.
Applicants must meet one of the following conditions:
CRESS-1 have lived and worked in Jersey for at least the previous 6 months; OR
CRESS-2 have lived in Jersey for less than 6 months and have worked or had a reasonable expectation of work when moving here
The CRESS scheme is only available to people who have not lived in Jersey long enough to satisfy the residency conditions for Income Support; these require the person to have been in Jersey for five years continuously before claiming, or ten years at any time in the past. People who do not qualify for Income Support for other reasons aside from residency cannot apply for CRESS.
The loss of employment income covered by the scheme includes situations in which the applicant
- Cannot be retained in employment by their employer and the employer will not re-employ them under the Payroll Co-Funding Scheme (PCFS);
- is normally a self-employed worker who is unable to continue with their business and is not covered by the PCFS;
- Has had to leave their job to home-isolate for a prolonged period due to Government health advice and the employer will not support them under the PCFS;
- has had to leave their job to care full-time for children who can no longer attend school or nursery and the employer will not support them under the PCFS; or
- has had to leave their job to care full-time for a member of their immediate household and the employer will not support them under the PCFS:
Individuals or couples can apply to the scheme for weekly payments. There are additional payments available if there are children under school leaving age in the household, or an adult child under 25 who would normally be in full-time education.
The scheme will provide payments from 1st April 2020 and will expire on 30 June 2020. The Minister will review the scheme regularly and will take a view on whether it should be extended beyond 30/6/2020. This will depend on the situation of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Minister for Social Security has approved extending the CRESS scheme from its original closure date of 30 June 2020 to run til 31 August 2020.
New claims to the CRESS scheme will not be accepted after 31 July.
The scheme will close on 31 August.
The Minister reserves the right to review and if necessary, revise, these dates in line with prevailing advice and guidance in respect of travel restrictions to and from the Island.
If a person can’t afford to remain in Jersey, financial help is available towards the costs of leaving the Island. This help is available through Customer & Local Services. A person can ask for help towards the costs of returning to their home country, or the last place they have lived for a substantial period of time, if they cannot afford their travel costs. Travel will be by what CLS staff consider to be the cheapest and most practical safe method. As travel restrictions are eased these methods may change.
CRESS is a tax-funded scheme. It will be administered through the Customer & Local Services Department with funding allocated by the Treasury and Resources Minister.
The Government has also launched a Payroll Co-Funding Scheme (PCFS) to help employers maintain continuity of employment by supporting a proportion of the wages of their existing employees.
Before applying to the CRESS, an applicant must contact their previous employer to check if they can maintain their previous employment income, with the employer being supported under the PCFS.
It is not possible to claim under this scheme and remain in employment or self-employment under the PCFS at the same time.
There are two types of assistance available to Jersey residents via this scheme:
CRESS -1:
This assistance provides for people who have lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months, have a contribution record for October, November and December 2019, were working for at least 25 hours a week in Jersey prior to the COVID emergency, but have not lived in Jersey long enough to satisfy the Income Support residency test which requires the person to have been in Jersey for five years continuously before claiming, or ten years at any time in the past.
CRESS-2:
This assistance is for people who have not lived and worked in Jersey for the last 6 months, but were living and working for at least 25 hours a week in Jersey prior to the Covid emergency and have not lived in Jersey long enough to satisfy the Income Support residency test which requires the person to have been in Jersey for five years continuously before claiming, or ten years at any time in the past. CRESS 2 is also available to people who have recently arrived in Jersey intending to work for at least 25 hours a week but have been unable to find employment due to the COVID-19 emergency.
A breakdown of the payments that are available is provided in Section 8.
The scheme is designed for people who don’t qualify for other forms of help from Government, such as benefits or other schemes; normally work for at least 25 hours a week and have lost their normal employment income as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
- The person must be living in Jersey and be present in Jersey at the point of applying for the Scheme and for the whole of any week they receive payment from the Scheme
- For the main CRESS scheme (CRESS 1) the person must have been working for at least 25 hours per week in Jersey (employed, part-time employed, or self-employed) and paying Social Security contributions and tax (where applicable) prior to the Covid emergency. People who have been in the Island for less than 6 months can access a lower rate (CRESS 2) even if they haven’t been working, as long as they moved to Jersey to work
- The person must have lost their employment income as a result of the covid emergency.
- A person can’t apply to this scheme if they or their partner satisfies the residency condition for Income Support
- A person can’t apply to this scheme if they continue to receive employment income or return to any paid work
- A person cannot re-apply to this scheme if they have previously claimed and then stopped getting CRESS because they have re-started work
- A person can’t apply to this scheme if they are receiving an income from a contributory Social Security benefit - Short Term Incapacity Allowance (STIA), Home Carer’s Allowance (HCA), Invalidity Benefit (INV) or Maternity Allowance (MA).
The application process is administered by the Customer & Local Services Department. Applicants are required to complete an online form to make an application. If a person has good reasons that they cannot apply online they will get assistance from CLS.
Only one application can be made in respect of a household – that is an adult or a couple living together, with or without children. There is one form for all types of application.
The online form requires the following information:
- Person details – e.g. name, address, Social Security number,
- Telephone number for day time contact
- Details of the household – e.g. the names and dates of birth of any children and age of arrival in Jersey (if not born locally)
- Jersey Bank details – sort code and account number scan of recent bank statement.
- Name of most recent employer
- Most recent occupation
- Technical / professional qualifications / experience
- Similar details for partner, if applying as a couple
The online form requires the following declaration:
Declaration
I am applying for CRESS because my employment income has stopped due to the covid-19 pandemic. I confirm that I am unable to maintain my employment income using the PCFS (Payroll Co-Funding Scheme) and that I have requested that my employer or previous employer confirm this. I further authorise and consent to my employer or previous employer to provide such confirmation to Customer and Local Services (“CLS”).
OR
I am applying for CRESS because I have recently arrived in Jersey expecting to work but I have been unable to find employment due to the covid-19 pandemic.
I understand that I must and confirm that I will:
a) Provide details of my skills and/or experience that may assist community or Government schemes.
b) Actively seek paid employment and accept any appropriate offers of employment that are offered
c) Accept any voluntary job or task in any community or Government scheme during the COVID-19 emergency that I am requested to assist with
d) Notify CLS immediately if I or my partner (where applicable) start working again or commence any paid employment
e) Notify CLS immediately of any changes to the composition or circumstances of my household
f) Immediately provide any such further information as CLS may request
g) Immediately confirm my circumstances and those of my partner (where applicable) to CLS upon telephone request
I hereby consent to and understand that:
a) CLS will check the information I have provided against their existing records.
b) CLS can contact my employer or previous employer to verify my employment history and the information I have provided in support of this application.
c) CLS can contact my partner’s employer or previous employer to verify my partner’s employment history and the information I have provided in support of this application.
d) If I receive any monies under this scheme to which I am not entitled, those monies must be repaid forthwith
e) The Government will take action against me to recover any monies that I have received to which I am not entitled
f) If I have provided CLS with any false information in relation to my application to this scheme, the Government can and will take action against me to recover any monies that I have received to which I am not entitled, including, but not limited to criminal prosecution
I declare that:
a) All of the details provided in this application are true, accurate and complete
b) I have read and understood the rules of this scheme
c) I have read and understood this declaration and commit to adhere to the commitments I have made in it
d) If I receive any monies under the scheme to which I am not entitled, I will repay them forthwith
I understand that if I supply information that I know to be false or withhold information for the purpose of obtaining a payment for myself or anyone else (for example, if I do not declare an income), I am committing a criminal offence for which I could be prosecuted, and which may result in a fine and/ or imprisonment.
The Scheme pays on a household basis. It calculates an amount for a single person, couples, and any children. Children includes adult children up to the age of 25 who are living at the same address and are in full-time education.
Where two people live together as a couple and share accommodation, they cannot make individual claims under this Scheme. In some situations, one partner can make a claim when the other partner does not qualify. Further detail on these rules is found in section 9, on household composition.
Payments will generally be made to Jersey bank accounts. Applications can also be considered by people who have recently moved to the Island and have not had time to set up a Jersey bank account. People who do not have a bank account should contact CLS for assistance
CLS will use existing contribution records to check the applicant’s contribution record for Oct to Dec 2019. If there is a contribution record for each month in the quarter the applicant will be considered for CRESS-1.
If there is no record for Oct, Nov, Dec the applicant will be considered for CRESS-2.
In exceptional circumstances, an applicant can be considered for CRESS-1 if they have a record missing from one of Oct, Nov or Dec but they have a record for the rest of 2019 (Jan – Oct).
Where the application is from a couple, the contribution record of each partner will be checked.
The Applicant must confirm that they have spoken to the previous employer and it is not possible for the employer to maintain their earnings using the PCFS.
CLS may contact the previous employer to confirm these details.
If a person does become re-employed for a period where they have received a CRESS payment, they will be required to repay it.
The scheme provides weekly payments, paid in arrears.
Where an application is received and approved in respect of a payment week it qualifies for a full payment in that week.
Where a claim is ended before the end of the scheme, it qualifies for a full payment in the last week of the claim, regardless of the day on which the claim ended.
A claimant’s CRESS claim will stop as soon as they start work but they will still receive a full week's payment if the date they start work falls in an eligible week.
The CRESS scheme is only available to people who are not working
The payment amount is decided by looking at whether there is a single person, a couple living together, and any children. Then, a decision is made to see whether each adult meets the residency and work tests for the CRESS Scheme.
Application from a single adult provides the following weekly benefit:
- £150 a week for a single person who does not live with a partner and qualifies for CRESS-1
- £70 a week for a single person who does not live with a partner and qualifies for CRESS-2
- £50 a week for each child included in the household. This includes older children who would normally be in full-time education and are under the age of 25
For a couple, lower amounts are available if one partner has only been in the Island for less than 6 months (residency test) or does not qualify for CRESS because they are still in employment, they are not normally working at least 25 hours a week or they are receiving a contributory benefit.
Application from couples provides the following weekly benefit:
- £70 a week for a person who has lived and worked in Jersey for less than 6 months and has lost their job, and has a partner who is still employed or receiving a contributory benefit
- £70 a week for a person who has lived and worked in Jersey for less than 6 months and has lost their job, and has a partner who does not normally work (or works for less than 25 hours a week).
- £100 a week for a person who has lived and worked in Jersey for more than 6 months and has lost their job, and has a partner who is still employed or receiving a contributory benefit
- £150 a week for a person who has lived and worked in Jersey for more than 6 months and has lost their job, and has a partner who does not normally work (or works for less than 25 hours a week).
- £170 a week where both partners were previously employed for at least 25 hours a week and have lost their employment income, but with only one partner who has lived and worked in Jersey for more than 6 months
- £250 a week for a couple who have both lived and worked in Jersey for more than 6 months and have both lost employment due to COVID-19
- £50 a week for each child included in the household. This includes older children who would normally be in full-time education and are under the age of 25
Application from couples where neither have lived in Jersey for more than 6 months:
- £70 a week per person who has lost employment income due to COVID-19.
- Support for repatriation costs, if travel can be safely arranged to the home country.
- £50 a week for each child included in the household. This includes older children who would normally be in full-time education and are under the age of 25
A child is a person under compulsory school leaving age.
A child can be included on a CRESS claim if the child lives with the person or couple making the claim and is under school leaving age. A young adult aged under 25 who can prove they remain in a course of full-time education (school, college or university) is included in the household.
Young adults aged under 25 who pass the work test for the CRESS scheme will be treated as separate households and will be able to make their own (separate) application.
A child can only be included on one CRESS claim. If childcare is shared between two parents who do not live together, only one parent can make a claim. The parent who looks after the child for most of the time, or currently has the child living in their household for the majority of the time, should include the child on their claim.
The CRESS scheme is an emergency and temporary scheme. It does not include specific support for rent or mortgage costs.
Applicants should continue to pay rent if possible as they will still be liable for any rent arrears. Applicants should speak with their landlord urgently if they are struggling to pay rent. Landlords should be sympathetic, especially if the tenant is facing financial hardship due to the coronavirus outbreak.
A tenant still has a legal obligation to pay rent, but the landlord may agree to reduce the rent or defer the rent payment until later. The tenant should get any agreement in writing.
Where a former employer who provided accommodation for the applicant is receiving funding from the PCFS scheme in respect of remaining employees, the employer is required to provide accommodation for the applicant, although the applicant is no longer employed.
If the landlord has applied to evict the tenant, the tenant should stay in their home.
Evictions take time and the tenant doesn’t have to leave at the end of the notice until an eviction has been ordered by the Court.
Jersey’s Magistrate’s Court has adjourned all eviction cases which are before the Petty Debts Court and no new cases will be considered during the coronavirus outbreak.
Government advice during the coronavirus outbreak is to stay put in your home unless staying where you are creates an immediate risk to your health and/or safety, or you do not have currently have somewhere safe to say.
Anyone concerned about their rent, mortgage or living arrangements should contact the emergency housing team – emergencyhousing@gov.je
If one partner in a household receives Income Support, neither partner can make a claim under this scheme.
If an individual or either partner in a couple satisfy the residency condition for Income Support, neither partner can make a claim under this scheme.
An individual cannot apply for a payment under this scheme if they are receiving a payment for the following Jersey benefits:
- Income Support
- Short Term Incapacity Allowance
- Maternity Allowance
- Home Carer’s Allowance
- Invalidity benefit
- Covid sickness benefit
For the purposes of the CRESS scheme, the applicant is considered to have lost their employment income due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic if the applicant:
- Prior to the Covid emergency, was working in Jersey for at least 25 hours per week;
- AND due to Covid emergency, one or more of the following apply to the applicant:
a) Cannot be retained in employment by their employer and the employer will not re-employ them under the Payroll Co-Funding Scheme (PCFS);
b) Was previously employed by a business that is now insolvent
c) Was previously employed on a zero hours contract and the employer will not provide them with any hours under the PCFS;
d) is normally a self-employed worker who is unable to continue with their business and is not covered by the PCFS;
e) Has had to leave their job to home-isolate for a prolonged period due to Government health advice and the employer will not support them under the PCFS;
f) has had to leave their job to care full-time for children who can no longer attend school or nursery and the employer will not support them under the PCFS; or
g) has had to leave their job to care full-time for a member of their immediate household and the employer will not support them under the PCFS:
- AND: Has no ongoing earnings during the Covid emergency
- An applicant who is employed and chooses to stop working without a good reason, is not eligible under this scheme.
- An applicant who is employed, and would have remained employed, but loses employment due to their own actions is not eligible under this scheme. This decision will be made by experienced CLS staff
Applications to CRESS 2 are considered for people who have been in the Island for less than 6 months who have been working for at least 25 hours a week and have lost employment income as above. CRESS-2 is also available to people who have recently moved to Jersey with the intention of working for at least 25 hours a week but have been unable to find employment due to the restrictions relating to COVID-19.
A condition of the support available under the CRESS scheme is that applicants agree to support government and community actions during the covid emergency as well as undertaking relevant job-seeking activities and taking up employment that is available.
Jersey is in an unprecedented situation. Many normal employment opportunities are not available at present. The CRESS scheme is available to people who have lost their normal employment but may be able to help in other areas. Applicants will be expected to undertake any suitable work. This could be work that is different to their normal work. It might be voluntary work. Applicants will be expected to adhere to all current health advice.
This process will be administered by experienced Customer & Local Services staff from the Back To Work employment service. Any requirements to work will take full account of any factors in the Covid-19 emergency and will look at a person’s capabilities in working.
Applicants are required to provide contact details and be available at short notice to undertake paid or voluntary work. They must promptly provide details of skills, experience or qualifications on demand. Applicants will only be matched to work that is suitable to them and reasonable to their skills, experience, health, age and physical abilities.
If an applicant is offered suitable work and does not take it, they will become ineligible for the CRESS scheme and payments will cease.
The applicant is required to advise the CLS Department of any change to their circumstance that would affect the value or eligibility of their claim.
Changes include:
- A partner moving in or out of the household
- A child or young person joining or leaving the household
- The applicant resuming any paid work
- The applicant leaving Jersey
Changes must be advised to CLS by calling on 01534 444 444 or emailing CRESS@gov.je and within 2 working days of the changes.
The applicant will become ineligible for the CRESS scheme if they fail to accurately and fully advise CLS of any changes in their circumstances.
The applicant will become ineligible for the CRESS scheme if they fail to respond promptly to any request for information from CLS to confirm their circumstances.
Any amount that is overpaid as a result of not following this procedure will need to be repaid.
Payments made under the CRESS scheme are made on the basis of information supplied by the applicant.
The applicant must sign a declaration confirming the information provided is complete and correct and that they will abide by the terms of the scheme.
Information will be checked against information held by the CLS department.
It will be checked with other departments as necessary.
The applicant’s employer or former employer may be asked to confirm details.
In the event that any information is incorrect or incomplete, the applicant will be required to repay any payments made that were not correctly due under the scheme.
In the event that an applicant deliberately supplies false information, the matter will be passed to the police and the applicant may be subject to prosecution.
CRESS is a non-statutory scheme. As such the terms of CRESS can be amended or withdrawn without notice at the discretion of the Minister for Social Security.
As a non-statutory scheme, the decision of the Minister for Social Security is final.
In order to be considered for a payment an application must be submitted.
The Application Form is available here:
Email: CRESS@gov.je
Phone: +44 (0) 1534 444444
TABLE 1 – Both partners lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months
| | Partner 1 – has lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months |
| | Lost job | Did not work before Covid | Still employed or receiving a contributory benefit |
Partner 2– has lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months | Lost job | £250pw + £50 pw per child | £150pw + £50 pw per child | £100 pw + £50 pw per child |
Did not work before Covid | £150pw + £50 pw per child | Not entitled to CRESS support |
Still employed or receiving a contributory benefit | £100 pw + £50 pw per child |
Table 2 – Only one partner has lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months
| | Partner 1 – has lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months |
| | Lost job | Did not work before Covid | Still employed or receiving a contributory benefit |
Partner 2– has NOT lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months | Lost job | £170 pw + £50 pw per child | £70 pw + £50 pw per Child | £70 pw + £50 pw per child |
Did not work before Covid | £150 pw + £50 pw per Child | Not entitled to CRESS support |
Still employed or receiving a contributory benefit | £100 pw + £50 pw per child |
Table 3 – Neither partner has lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months
| | Partner 1 – has NOT lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months |
| | Lost job | Did not work before Covid | Still employed or receiving a contributory benefit |
Partner 2– has NOT lived and worked in Jersey for at least 6 months | Lost job | £140 pw + £50 pw per child | £70 pw + £50 pw per Child | £70 pw + £50 pw per child |
Did not work before Covid | £70 pw + £50 pw per Child | Not entitled to CRESS support |
Still employed or receiving a contributory benefit | £70 pw + £50 pw per child |
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