Covid-19 Income Support Temporary Application Scheme for Short Term Incapacity Allowance: Update

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A decision made on 21 December 2020

Decision Reference: MD-S-2020-0092
Decision Summary Title :	DS – Income Support – Covid 19 – Update to Temporary Scheme (STIA)		Date of Decision Summary:	21/12/2020
Decision Summary Author:	Senior Policy Officer		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	WR – Income Support – Covid 19 – Update to Temporary Scheme (STIA)		Date of Written Report:	21/12/2020
Written Report Author:	Senior Policy Officer		Written Report: Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: Update of Income Support Temporary Application Scheme for Short Term Incapacity Allowance (STIA)
Decision(s): The Minister has decided to update the Temporary Application Scheme for STIA – this follows revised public health advice. The Minister has decided to increase the maximum number of days of STIA equivalent payments that can be made using Income Support exceptional payments from 21 to 24 days. The update to the scheme takes effect from 8th December 2020. The Covid-19 sickness (Isolation) Benefit scheme rules have already been updated to reflect this increase in days. The Temporary Income Support Scheme was setup by Ministerial Delegation earlier this year.
Reason(s) for Decision: On 23rd March 2020 the Minister signed MD-S-2020-0017. This delegated the power to make exceptional payments available under Article 8(2) of the Income Support (Jersey) Law 2007, to Determining Officers appointed under that Law. These delegations have been extended twice by MD-S-2020-0036 and 0060, they are currently set to expire at the end of March 2021. As part of the initial MD, the Minister established a temporary scheme which allowed exceptional payments of Income Support up to the maximum value of 14 days of STIA to be made, under ministerial guidance, to people who would not normally qualify for STIA. Following updated advice in relation to household isolation (issued by the Medical Officer of Health) the Minister signed MD-S-2020-0027 which, effective from the 28th March, increased the maximum number of days of STIA equivalent payment from 14 to 21 days. Changes to the covid-19 testing regime now mean that a person could test positive when tested on day 10 of their self-isolation and then have to isolate for a further 14 days. Therefore, in order to align with these changes, the number of days of income support payable under this temporary scheme is being increased from 21 to 24 days.
Resource Implications: There are no additional manpower or resource implications to the variations being applied. The cost of the Covid-19 sickness benefit is met by the Social Security Fund and the Customer and Local Services budget allocated to Income Support.
Action required: Senior Policy Officer to advise CLS Group Director of Customer Operations that the Ministerial Decision confirming these changes has been signed.
Signature: Deputy J A Martin		Position: Minister for Social Security
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):