Personal assistants no longer need to legally self-isolate following a positive Covid test. Until Friday 1 April the Government are still advising that people who test positive for Covid follow the current guidance around isolation, which is to isolate for 10 full days is possible. After 1 April they are advising anyone with Covid to exercise personal responsibility.
In the same way that you wouldn’t expect a carer to work if they had the flu, your personal assistant should be off work and classed as sick if they have Covid. In these circumstances they may be entitled to SSP, depending on earnings.
If your PA is off sick with Covid on or after 24 March and is entitled to SSP, then from this date onward, they will receive SSP from the third day of their absence, in line with standard SSP rules.
If, however you are stating that you do not want your staff to work when guidance states they can, then you may need to continue paying them depending on the contractual agreement in place. Advice should be sought from your insurers legal team and/or your direct payment adviser and information and advice team in all cases.
Additionally, from 1 April, free symptomatic and asymptotic Covid testing for most people will end, although the Government have announced that some groups will continue to receive free symptomatic tests; these have yet to be announced.
You can find more Covid-19 information on our Covid-19 page.