Coronavirus (COVID-19): shielding social care workers support scheme - CRWIA screening

Coronavirus (COVID-19): shielding social care workers support scheme: CRWIA

CRWIA Stage 1

Screening - key questions

(Hyperlink will only work within SG)

1. Name the policy, and describe its overall aims.

Social Care Support Fund - Admin of Shielding Claims

A small group of social care workers were eligible for the UK Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), but due to miscommunication by UK Government were not placed upon it by their employer. Unions have highlighted that this group have suffered financial hardship, and the Cabinet Secretary has agreed to replicate the CJRS for workers who were eligible for the scheme due to health reasons (i.e. they were either in the Shielding category or the Higher Risk category) where their work could not be safely adapted. The period of eligibility is March – October 2020 only, as the CJRS then re-opened to new applicants. We anticipate that this will apply to a maximum of 850 workers, and that many fewer will apply because of implications where households use social security benefits.

2.  What aspects of the policy/measure will affect children and young people up to the age of 18?

Sector data shows that the number of staff aged up to 20 employed in the Social Care sector to be very low, <2.5% across every sector of the workforce. It is also likely that given that most of those who had to shield from the virus would have tended to be older, that less than 25 individuals up to 18 are likely to be eligible.

3. What likely impact – direct or indirect – will the policy/measure have on children and young people?

Other than very low numbers (as explained above) potentially eligible to claim, most of the impacts to children will be positive through an eligible parent being able to apply for monies through the scheme 

4. Which groups of children and young people will be affected?

Any young people working in social care and eligible to claim, any young person with a parent eligible to claim. Overall numbers are still envisaged as being low.

5. Will this require a CRWIA?

No- From what available data we have on the sector we do not envisage eligibility to extend to more than 850 individuals across all age groups. Through engagement with the DWP and HMRC we are aware that claiming will have an impact on those claiming related benefits (which will most likely include those with dependants) and so expect that numbers of actual claims to this fund to be low. 

In addition, this policy does not directly affect the rights of Children- any effects are likely to be indirect as a result of a parent claiming. These effects and their mitigations have already been considered through the Equality Impact Assessment that has been taken in relation to this policy.

CRWIA Declaration

Tick relevant section, and complete the form.

CRWIA required

CRWIA not required

x

Authorisation

Policy lead

Karen Geekie

Date

21 December 2020

Deputy Director or equivalent

Kate Hall, Deputy Director

Date

21 December 2021