Employed or self-employed people on low incomes who are told to self-isolate, but whose income would be hit by staying at home, can now claim a £500 support payment.

From Monday 12 October 2020, Test and Trace payments of £500 will be available to those who meet the eligibility criteria and have been told to self-isolate on or after 28 September 2020, either because they have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive.

To be eligible for the Test and Trace Support Payment, an individual must be:

• asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace either because they’ve tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
• employed or self-employed
• unable to work from home and will lose income as a result, and
• currently receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.

You can find out further details and submit a claim for the scheme 

www.shropshire.gov.uk/benefits

There is still time to give us your views by completing the Neighbourhood Plan questionnaire – either the paper copy delivered to your house or online!

The Pontesbury Parish Neighbourhood Plan will set out policies to help ensure a sustainable, vibrant and thriving community for the foreseeable future. For instance, helping to protect the Parish against inappropriate and unwanted development, protecting our green spaces, and supporting new community initiatives.

It is being put together by volunteer residents for the benefit of everyone in the community.

Earlier in July a survey was delivered by post, to every household in the parish. Please take time to complete and return it by Friday 31 July 2020, and let us know what kind of community you would like to live in.  You can also complete the questionnaire online at www.pontesburyneighbourhoodplan.org.uk.  If you have the option of completing it online please do so, as your answers won’t need to be transcribed and it will save costs.  However, we do realise that this is not an option for everyone and we really want to hear the views of as many people as possible so there is also a freepost envelope included for  you to return the print questionnaire.

Many thanks and we look forward to hearing your views.

 Vision for a green future – Still places available

Help us create the vision for a green future and tackling climate change in Pontesbury through our

neighbourhood plan at an online workshop on Thursday, 30 July at 6pm.

Pontesbury Parish Council is developing a Neighbourhood Plan to give our community a much bigger

say in how the area develops over the next 15–20 years. The plan needs widespread public engagement

so that it reflects the needs and interests of the community, and ensures that development and change

happen in ways that are genuinely sustainable.

The public is more concerned about climate change than ever before. The UK government has

committed to reduce carbon emissions to nothing by 2050, so within the period of our plan, radical

action needs to be well underway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of

climate change.

We want your help to see how Pontesbury could contribute. What will Pontesbury be like in 2030?

How have we changed things to make it greener (ideally zero carbon), and more sustainable? How have

we changed the way we generate and use energy, how we travel, the buildings we live and work in, and

where we put new development? How are we protecting and enhancing wildlife and adapting to extreme

weather? And how could these changes make Pontesbury a better, healthier place to live and work?

The 3 hour workshop will be facilitated by the Centre for Sustainable Energy. No specialist knowledge

is needed, just enthusiasm to get involved and openness to think about the future. The outputs will be

policy ideas for inclusion within your neighbourhood plan and ideas for possible community actions

and initiatives to run in parallel with it. Please contact the Parish Clerk on clerk@pontesburypc.org.uk

if you would like to attend. Limited places available.