Support for self-employed and freelancers

Published: 24/03/2020 By Andrew Bailey

It looks like the government are taking proactive steps to provide support for the self-employed and freelancers with consideration being included within the proposed Coronavirus Bill.

This will give hope to the many people affected in recent weeks.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-01/0122/amend/coronavirus_daily_cwh_0320rev.14-18.html


Coronavirus Bill, continued

 “Statutory self-employment pay

 (1)    The Secretary of State must, by regulations, introduce a scheme of Statutory Self-Employment Pay.

 (2)    The scheme must make provision for payments to be made out of public funds to individuals who are


         (a)        self-employed, or
         (b)        freelancers.

 (3)    The payments to be made in subsection (2) are to be set so that the net monthly earnings of an individual specified in subsection (2) do not fall below—


         (i)        80 per cent of their monthly net earnings, averaged over the last three
         years, or
         (ii)        £2,917

                 whichever is lower.

 (4)    No payment to be made under subsection (2) shall exceed £2,917 per month.

 (5)    A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

 Member’s explanatory statement

The purpose of this amendment is to make the Government ‘top up’ self-employed workers’ earnings to the lower of 80% of their net monthly earnings averaged over three years, or £2,917 a month
.



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