Decisions set out in the book have been made under delegated powers by the Chief Executive, Executive Directors or the Chief Finance Officer and Monitoring Officer, in consultation either with the relevant committee or Lead Councillor.

The Decision Book process has been altered to suspend the current Councillors’ call-in arrangements within the 10-day period after its publication and replace it with the ability during that period for three Councillors to request a retrospective review of the decision in writing to the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The decision book can be accessed on the Council’s website –
https://democracy.reading.gov.uk/mgListOfficerDecisions.aspx?bcr=1&BAM=0

The officer reports accompanying the decisions are attached.

Contact: Richard Woodford Committee Services
Tel: 0118 937 2332
e-mail: richard.woodford@reading.gov.uk

This report sets out the decision to implement a Test and Trace Discretionary Isolation Support Payment Scheme.
It is the decision of the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader of the Council that a Test and Trace Discretionary Isolation Support Payment Scheme in respect of residents meeting the following criteria is introduced:
have been told to stay at home and self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, either because they have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive; and

are employed or self-employed; and
are unable to work from home and will lose income as a result; and
are 18yrs or over and a resident in the borough; and
are on a low income (as defined below) and will face financial
hardship as a result of not being able to work while they are in self-isolation; and

are not currently in receipt of Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit;
And satisfy one of the following criteria:
No recourse to public funds; or
Have applied but not had an outcome from one of the benefits listed above; or
Have an outstanding appeal against a decision on one of the benefits listed above.
Low income is defined as 16 hrs at National Living Wage (£8.72) or below, this is equivalent to earnings of £139.52 per week or £604.59 per calendar month immediately prior to the self-isolation period.
Applications will only be accepted from those that have been told to self-isolate on or after 28 September 2020 and within 14 days of the date that their self-isolation period (as notified by NHS) ends.
Individuals in the same household can each make an application to receive a Test and Trace Discretionary Isolation Support Payment, if they each meet all the eligibility criteria in full.
An individual may make an application more than once but only:
they meet the eligibility criteria for each individual application; and
the periods of self-isolation do not overlap