COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment

The Short-Term Absence Payment is available from 9 February 2021. It’s to help businesses keep paying eligible workers who:

• cannot work from home, and
• need to miss work to stay home while waiting for a COVID-19 test result (in line with public health guidance).

There’s a one-off payment of $359 for each eligible worker. You can only apply for it once, for each eligible worker, in any 30-day period (unless a health official or doctor tells the worker to get another test).

It’s also available to self-employed workers.

Anyone who is unwell should call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or talk to their doctor or health provider. Businesses should encourage their workers to do this if they're unwell.

We also have the Leave Support Scheme available to employers. You cannot get more than one COVID-19 payment for the same employee at the same time from us.

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