Hundreds of self-employed in Milton Keynes miss out on coronavirus support scheme funding

Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced self-employed people could claim a grant worth 80 per cent of their monthly profits, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month, to tide them through the crisis.

But people who registered as self-employed during the last 12 months are not eligible to apply.

In Milton Keynes there were 11,000 people working for themselves in the 2017-18 tax year. Their average salary was £19,100, compared to £31,300 for workers who are not self-employed.

Across the South East region, more than 25,000 more people became self employed during the 2019-20 tax year. Hundreds of these are in MK.

All of these will slip through the government funding net, as wil people who became self-employed from January this year.

The Association of Independent Professionals (IPSE) said this week that more needs to be done to support the newly self-employed.

Andy Chamberlain, director of policy, said: "Too many of the UK’s vital self-employed community are still tumbling through the gaps in the financial support package.

“We believe the government should let these people file a tax return in the next month and use this to allow them to access the scheme.

“The government has taken unprecedented steps to support certain self-employed groups, but it must go further to support all parts of this diverse and vital community through the coronavirus crisis.”

Some self-employed workers can access the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme, providing they have a business bank account, or apply for Universal Credit.

Income tax payments due in July can also be deferred until January 2021.

An HMT spokesman said: “We’re fully committed to supporting the self-employed and our Self Employment Income Support scheme is one of the most generous in the world.

“Those who do not qualify will be able to access a range of other support – including income tax deferrals, £1 billion more support for renters and access to three-month mortgage holidays."