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1338596

registered interest
date	21/06/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury's answer to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 16 June 2021, Official Report, column 318, which groups the Financial Secretary has met to discuss support for freelancers in the (a) creative and (b) other sectors.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	19725
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2021 answer text <p>Treasury ministers and officials have had meetings with a wide variety of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors, including MPs, businesses, professional representative bodies, and the unions, throughout the development of the COVID-19 support package including both the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.</p><p> </p><p>This proactive engagement has been widely praised, and the Institute for Government has said: “The Government’s approach to consultation compensated for some of the difficulties of accelerated policy development, because it gave it fast access to information, and an early sense of whether the measures would work and how they would be received by businesses and workers. This contributed to both positive reception on announcement and successful roll-out.”</p><p> </p><p>Details of ministerial and permanent secretary meetings with external organisations on departmental business are published on a quarterly basis and are available at:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmt-ministers-meetings-hospitality-gifts-and-overseas-travel</a>.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman grouped question UIN 19724 question first answered 24/06/2021 14:09:22 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1307046

registered interest
date	12/04/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to support self-employed people who have had no financial income for the duration of the covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns who are ineligible for support through universal credit or the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Zarah Sultana
uin	179603
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2021 answer text <p>The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has provided and will continue to provide generous support to self-employed people who meet the eligibility criteria. The Government will have spent over £33 billion supporting those in self-employment through the SEISS, making it one of the most generous self-employment income COVID support schemes in the world.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is bringing more people into the scheme: changes to the fourth grant mean that over 600,000 people previously ineligible for SEISS may now be eligible, including those newly self-employed in 2019-20. This brings the total number of people who could be eligible to 3.7m.</p><p> </p><p>The Government recognises that some of the rules, criteria and conditions vital to ensuring that the SEISS works for the vast majority mean that some people may not qualify.</p><p> </p><p>Those ineligible for the SEISS may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Government has decided to extend the suspension of the Universal Credit Minimum Income Floor for three months, to the end of July 2021, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings.</p><p> </p><p>New style Jobseeker’s Allowance is also available to individuals with sufficient National Insurance Contributions who now work under 16 hours a week on average, and does not assess household capital.</p><p>Self-employed people may also have access to other elements of support available, including Restart Grants, the Recovery Loan scheme, business rates relief, and other business support schemes.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 15/04/2021 14:17:17 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4786 label Biography information for Zarah Sultana

1299914

registered interest
date	05/03/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent measures his Department has taken to support self-employed workers whose trade is affected by ongoing covid-19 restrictions.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	163648
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2021 answer text <p>The Government announced at Budget 2021 that the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will continue until September, with a fourth and a final fifth grant. This provides certainty to business as the economy reopens and places the SEISS among the most generous schemes for the self-employed in the world.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has also announced a major improvement in access to the SEISS. HMRC will now take into account 2019-20 tax returns to determine eligibility and calculate the fourth and fifth grants. This will increase the number of self-employed people who could claim these grants by about 600,000 to a total of up to 3.7 million.</p><p> </p><p>The fourth SEISS grant, available to be claimed from late April, will be worth 80% of average trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months’ worth of annual profits, and capped at £7,500 in total.</p><p>The fifth and final SEISS grant will cover May to September. Further details of the SEISS grants will be published in due course.</p><p> </p><p>The fourth and fifth SEISS grants constitute an estimated £13.5bn of additional support, taking total support for the self-employed to over £33 billion since the start of the pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, there have been extensions within the wider package of support for the self-employed.</p><p> </p><p>The temporary £20 per week increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance has been extended for six months, and the Government has decided to extend the suspension of the Minimum Income Floor for three months, to the end of July 2021, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 15/03/2021 14:46:12 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1283683

registered interest
date	03/02/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans he has to make financial support available for (a) freelancers and (b) other self employed people who have been ineligible for existing covid-19 support packages.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	148786
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2021 answer text <p>The Government recognises that some of the rules and conditions vital to ensuring that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) worked for the vast majority meant that some people did not qualify for these schemes.</p><p> </p><p>However, the National Audit Office has acknowledged that the SEISS and CJRS have been successful in helping to protect the livelihoods of millions of people and are just two elements of a comprehensive £280 billion package of support</p><p> </p><p>Those not eligible for the SEISS and CJRS may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 08/02/2021 12:05:54 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1276375

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what financial support his Department is providing in response to the covid-19 outbreak to self-employed people who do not have a business premises.
tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
tabling member printed	Emma Hardy
uin	137291
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government remains committed to supporting the self-employed population during the COVID-19 pandemic through a substantial package of support.</p><p> </p><p>Self-employed people who do not have a business premises may be eligible for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). The Government recently increased the funding available under this scheme to £1.6 billion across England. It is up to each local authority to determine eligibility for this scheme based on their assessment of local economic need; however, the Government encourages local authorities to support businesses which have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions but which are ineligible for the other grant schemes.</p><p> </p><p>Moreover, eligible self-employed individuals who have been affected by reduced demand or have been unable to trade due to COVID-19, which they believe will lead to a significant reduction in their trading profits, can claim the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant.</p><p> </p><p>The third SEISS grant covers the three-month period from November 2020 until January 2021. It is a taxable grant calculated at 80 per cent of three months’ average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment and capped at £7,500 in total.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Government has made available other elements of support. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays and self-isolation support payments.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 20/01/2021 12:00:01 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4645 label Biography information for Emma Hardy

1276403

registered interest
date	13/01/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of the recommendation of the Treasury Committee in its report Economic impact of coronavirus: Gaps in support that the Government undertake an urgent review to see how it can extend support to the newly self-employed who are unable to benefit from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath
tabling member printed	Neale Hanvey
uin	137329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/01/2021 answer text <p>The Government has acknowledged the recommendations of the Treasury Select Committee report, the Economic impact of coronavirus: Gaps in Support.</p><p> </p><p>The Committee states in its report that it recognises the challenges of offering support to those who need it while implementing the safeguards required to mitigate the very real risk of fraudulent claims for support.</p><p> </p><p>The practical issues that prevented the Government from being able to include the newly self-employed in 2019-20 in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) still remain. The latest year for which HMRC have tax returns for all self-employed individuals is 2018/19.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 18/01/2021 15:56:14 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4782 label Biography information for Neale Hanvey

1275121

registered interest
date	11/01/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Government support is available for people classed as self-employed solely for the 2019-20 tax year who have experienced a loss of income and are ineligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	135815
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2021 answer text <p>I refer the honourable Member to the answer given on 18 December 2020 to UIN 127482.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 19/01/2021 12:33:30 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1274036

registered interest
date	06/01/2021
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support self-employed individuals who have not previously earned enough money to be eligible for support during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Harlow
tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
uin	133791
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>Throughout the crisis, the Government’s priority has been to protect lives and livelihoods. This is why it has introduced a comprehensive package of support that self-employed individuals can benefit from.</p><p> </p><p>Applications are open for eligible individuals to claim the third grant under the Self Employment Income Support Scheme. The third taxable grant is worth 80% of average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £7,500 in total. There will also be a fourth grant covering February 2021 to April 2021. The Government will set out further details, including the level of the fourth grant, in due course.</p><p> </p><p>Those ineligible for the SEISS may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 11/01/2021 14:00:08 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1271112

registered interest
date	14/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to support the future of self-employment in the UK following the ineligibility of many self-employed individuals for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	129083
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2020 answer text <p>The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) has provided and will continue to provide substantial support to self-employed people who meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p>The design of the SEISS, including the eligibility requirement that an individual’s trading profits must be no more than £50,000 and at least equal to their non-trading income, means it is targeted at those who most need it, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income.</p><p>The first SEISS grant supported 2.7 million individuals with claims totalling £7.8 billion. A further £5.9 billion has been claimed through the second SEISS grant.</p><p>Applications for the third SEISS grant opened on 30 November. The third grant covers the three-month period from November 2020 until January 2021. It is a taxable grant calculated at 80 per cent of three months’ average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment and capped at £7,500 in total. Combined with up to £14,070 worth of support for each individual from the first and second grants, it makes the SEISS one of the most generous schemes for the self-employed in the world.</p><p>There will also be a fourth grant covering February to April 2021. The Government will set out further details, including the level of the fourth grant, in due course.</p><p> </p><p>The SEISS continues to be just one element of a comprehensive package of support for the self-employed which includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 17/12/2020 14:34:21 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1259819

registered interest
date	09/12/2020
answering body	Treasury
answering dept id	14
answering dept short name	Treasury
answering dept sort name	Treasury
hansard heading	Self-employed: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of providing support to newly self-employed individuals who have been ineligible for covid-19 support to date.
tabling member constituency	Preston
tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
uin	127482
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2020 answer text <p>The Government has looked carefully at ways to support groups such as the newly self-employed, and acknowledges that it has not been possible to support everyone as they might want. The practical issues that prevented the Government from being able to include the newly self-employed in 2019-20 in the original Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), namely that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will not have access to their self-assessment returns in order to verify their eligibility, still remain.</p><p> </p><p>The Government continues to work closely with stakeholders to explore how it can support different groups. The Government has engaged with various proposals but has not yet found a way to overcome the fundamental issue of safeguarding against fraud and abuse.</p><p> </p><p>However, newly self-employed individuals who are ineligible for SEISS may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020/21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the support package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.</p> answering member constituency Hereford and South Herefordshire answering member printed Jesse Norman question first answered 18/12/2020 12:36:11 answering member 3991 label Biography information for Jesse Norman
tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick