Treasury warned self-employed face financial hardship after falling through the cracks in government support Campaign group ExcludedUK, which was formed in the wake of the pandemic after an estimated three million self-employed people were excluded from emergency support, has written…
The Coronavirus pandemic is set to cost UK small businesses more than £12.6 billion, double last year’s forecasts A report by insurance provider, Simply Business, has revealed that small businesses have lost £15,673 so far on average throughout COVID-19, but…
Former BBC journalist and broadcaster, Liz Barclay, has been appointed as the new Small Business Commissioner Liz Barclay will be the first female to take up the Small Business Commissioner post, which was created in 2016 to help small businesses…
Self-employed men earn 43 per cent more than women, but more females are considering going freelance The Coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected women in work, with research showing that it has dramatically impacted the gender pay gap. Despite this worrying…
Freelancers are working more hours for less money, while the tax system is now seen as a bigger concern than COVID-19 Research by self-employment trade body, IPSE, has revealed that freelancers worked almost an extra week in the last quarter…
High street banks are refusing to provide mortgages to some contractors and self-employed people who took out government-back loans and grants Despite being told by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the government that using COVID-19 support schemes would not…
The Chancellor is finally considering support for contractors working via a limited company Treasury officials are at last deliberating a scheme that would support the millions of limited company contractors and small business owners who have previously been excluded from…
New COVID-19 support announced by the Chancellor may “not be enough to save many firms” The UK population is being asked to stay at home once more after the Prime Minister announced a third COVID-19 lockdown in England, with Scotland,…
From IR35 reform to Brexit and Coronavirus, here are some of the things likely to impact freelancers and contractors in 2021 2020 was a challenging year for independent workers, not least because of the Coronavirus pandemic. The crisis, along with…
New tier 4 restrictions could be the 'final death knell' for businesses unless the government increases support Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancelled Christmas plans for millions of businesses and people this weekend with the introduction of tougher new restrictions for…
Government urged to introduce a tailored strategy to help the self-employed recover from the pandemic The charity behind Business Debtline, Money Advice Trust, has written to the Small Business Minister, Paul Scully, to make the case for a COVID-19 self-employment…
Experts write to the Chancellor, urging the appointment of a freelance commissioner to 'drive change' Four professional bodies have written a joint letter to Rishi Sunak, urging him to introduce a freelance commissioner and future workforce commission to help a…
Stricter rules around the third SEISS grant are ‘troubling’ warns trade association Applications for the third Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant opened on Monday (30 November), however, the new eligibility rules have been criticised for being stricter and more…
The Chancellor has missed a 'golden opportunity' to address the gaps in Coronavirus support in the Spending Review On Wednesday 25th November, the Chancellor Rishi Sunak laid out the government’s plans for spending next year. In his Spending Review speech to…
A coalition of industry bodies, experts and campaign groups have proposed a scheme to support excluded contractors Around three million freelancers, contractors and small businesses have missed out on emergency Coronavirus support for numerous reasons including, being newly self-employed or…
One million freelancers and contractors have been pushed into debt because of the Coronavirus crisis, research finds According to a report, titled ‘The cost of Covid: How the pandemic is affecting the self-employed’ published by Starling bank and trade body…
