Updated 10 December 2020
What impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) may have on Direct Payments, what to do if you have a personal assistant (PA), how you can use Direct Payments to buy personal protection equipment and to prioritise essential tasks.
Call the Plymouth City Council or Devon CCG Personal Health Budget Team if you cannot get support due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) and you do not have any other support network, which means you have no care today or tonight.
7 things you need to know about Direct Payments
Guidance on using direct payments during the coronavirus outbreak: the most important things to know - GOV.UK |
Insurance providers' useful information:
Question | Answer |
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Is my PA classed as a critical worker? | YES |
What if my PA is challenged on her way to visit me? | The PA should explain that they are classed as a critical worker. The Direct Payment employer should contact Enham (Support Service Provider) if their PA requires a critical worker letter. |
My PA is sick and can't work | The PA will qualify for Statutory Sick Pay if their average earnings are at least £120per week (calculated over an 8 week period). However, those who are ineligible are able to claim Universal Credit and/or contributory Employment and Support Allowance depending on their personal circumstances. |
My PA is sick and self-isolating | The PA will qualify for Statutory Sick Pay if their average earnings are at least £120per week (calculated over an 8 week period). However, those who are ineligible are able to claim Universal Credit and/or contributory Employment and Support Allowance depending on their personal circumstances. |
My PA is not sick but is self-isolating | The PA will qualify for Statutory Sick Pay if their average earnings are at least £120per week (calculated over an 8 week period). However, those who are ineligible are able to claim Universal Credit and/or contributory Employment and Support Allowance depending on their personal circumstances. |
My PA is not sick and able to work but I am self-isolating | The PA must be paid their contracted hours You and your PA must follow the Health and Safety new rules and procedures very seriously and implement them based on government guidance. This is for yours and their protection as well as reducing the risk of infection to other people Where the PA has capacity to support other vulnerable people, the PA should contact Plymouth City Council on 01752 668000 |
My PA is not sick but has children at home | The PA is classed as a critical worker. You should follow the government advice and liaise with the school directly. |
My PA can work and I am not self-isolating
| If your PA can work, they should carry on fulfilling their caring duties. You and your PA must follow the Health and Safety new rules and procedures very seriously and implement them based on government guidance. This is for yours and their protection as well as reducing the risk of infection to other people. |
What should I do if you, as the employer or buyer of a service, have symptoms of COVID-19? | Find out more by reading:
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My PA is going abroad or has just returned from abroad. What should I do? | The Foreign & Commonwealth Office currently advises British nationals against all but essential international travel. Health and Care Workers must self-isolate if returning to England from a high-risk country. Please refer to GOV.UK for further information and updates on travel corridors and government advice regarding how to self-isolate when travelling to the UK. |
IMPORTANT: If you feel it is safer for your PA to self-isolate, even though they haven't displayed any symptoms, you will need to pay their contracted hours |
Personal protection equipment (PPE) can be:
Normally employers must ensure their employees are adequately protected, but with PPE in short supply, we request that Direct Payment Recipients contact Plymouth City Council if they have any concerns regarding the funding of PPE.
If you need to stay home because of self-isolation, you can use Direct Payment funding in a more flexible way to prioritise essential tasks like:
PPE Use |
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Employer Responsibility |
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Access to PPE | Employers should ensure that the necessary PPE is available for their PA's to use. Refer issues with access to PPE to Enham, the support service provider, and issues with funding to Plymouth City Council. |
PPE Disposal |
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PPE Guidance |
General Control Measures |
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Laundry |
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Self-Isolating |
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If your Personal Assistant tells you they have symptoms of COVID-19 as described on NHS website, they should stay home or you can send them home. If they earn above the Lower Employment Limit (LEL) statutory sick pay would apply from day one.
If they do not qualify, they can check GOV.UK to see if they can get financial support in the form Universal Credit or Employment Support Allowance.
The statutory sick pay (SSP) regulations 2020 (coronavirus amendment) came into force Friday 13 March. Statutory Sick Pay will now be payable to those self-isolating merely under Government guidance so there's no need for formal written notice to be given by a medical officer.
Tests for PAs
The government considers PAs as essential workers and therefore applications for tests can be made on GOV.UK. Alternatively, you can refer your PA for a test yourself if your PA is self-isolating due to having coronavirus-like symptoms or because a member of their household has symptoms. This can be done through the employer referral portal.
The test is most effective in the first 3 days of infection (but can still be effective up to 5 days). This means that any PA who has COVID-19 related symptom should get tested as soon as possible. Tests should not be done after 5 days of infection, unless they are specifically told it is possible.
The NHS Test and Trace service:
Important: Direct Payment Recipients should keep a temporary record of the shift patterns of their PAs for 21 days. If NHS Test and Trace ask for this data, you should provide it to them. This could help contain clusters or outbreaks.
Guidance: Maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors to support NHS Test and Trace
Further information
Enham - Support Service Provider:
Plymouth City Council
NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group - Personal Health Budget Team
Additional COVID 19 guidance Plymouth