Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many grants under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme have been issued to applicants that hold a Turkish Businessperson visa.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Applications for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) opened on 13 May. By 11 June 2020, HMRC had received:
HMRC have published tables showing the number of individuals claiming the SEISS by 31 May 2020 which can be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/self-employment-income-support-scheme-statistics-june-2020.
HMRC do not hold data on whether SEISS applicants hold a Turkish Businessperson visa and so cannot provide this information.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether self-employed workers who are subject to the Turkish EC Association Agreement visa are eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The revised guidance published alongside the legal Direction makes it clear that grants under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) are not counted as “access to public funds”, and that taxpayers can claim the SEISS grant on all categories of visa. This treatment of the SEISS grant aligns with that of payments from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of extending the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme beyond August 2020.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) allows eligible individuals to claim a taxable grant worth up to 80% of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single installment covering three months, and capped at £7,500 in total. The Chancellor indicated that the SEISS would be temporary when he announced it at the end of March, and that it could be extended if necessary. The Government is keeping this under review.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has plans to change the qualifying criteria for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The new Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will help those adversely affected by COVID-19. It means the UK will have one of the most generous self-employed COVID-19 support schemes in the world. HMRC designed the SEISS using information they already held, in order to deliver it quickly and minimise the risk of fraud. Expanding the scope would have required HMRC to collect and verify new information. This would have taken longer to deliver and put at risk the other schemes which the Government is committed to delivering as quickly as possible. Some 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment could benefit from this scheme. The scheme is targeted at those most in need, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income.
Those not eligible for the SEISS may still benefit from other support. Individuals may have access to a range of grants and loans depending on their circumstances, and the SEISS supplements the significant support already announced for UK businesses, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, the Bounce Back Loans Scheme, and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the potential merits of removing the no recourse to public funds conditions during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Chancellor and Home Secretary have regular discussions on matters of importance for the Home Office.
The Home Office leads on policy towards those with no recourse to public funds (NRPF) and is working closely with the Treasury and other government departments, including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department of Health and Social Care to support people, including migrants with NRPF, through this crisis. Departments are sharing what they are learning from other bodies and charities with each other to ensure that the Government continues to take a compassionate and pragmatic approach to an unprecedented situation.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of self-employed workers who have been excluded from the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
HMRC are currently using Self-Assessment data to identify those eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), and aim to contact those eligible by mid-May 2020. An updated estimate of the numbers excluded will not be held until this work has concluded.
Eligibility for SEISS is based on average trading profits for sole traders and income from partnerships. More information on the eligibility criteria can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme.
Those ineligible for SEISS may still benefit from other support. Individuals may have access to a range of grants and loans depending on their circumstances, and the SEISS supplements the significant support already announced for UK businesses, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business. Energy and Industrial Strategy on ensuring that business owners with a UK payroll but have an immigration status condition of no recourse to public funds are not automatically excluded from accessing the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is open to any employer providing they have created and started a PAYE payroll scheme on or before 19 March 2020; enrolled for PAYE online; and have a UK bank account. Individuals on any type of employment contract can be furloughed providing they were employed on 19 March 2020 and were on the employer’s payroll on or before 19 March 2020.
The assistance being given under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is not classed as public funds and is available to all those in work, including those with No Recourse to Public Funds status.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that loans made to foreign governments under UK law by UK-based financial institutions are publicly disclosed when they are made.
Answered by John Glen
The UK is working through the G20 to promote sovereign debt transparency and sustainability, particularly for low income developing countries.
UK-based lenders are subject to extensive prudential disclosure requirements under UK prudential and accounting law, including for material loans made to foreign Governments, which appropriately reflect firms’ exposures. Compliance with these requirements are independently assessed by the relevant UK regulator during their supervisory activities.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 5 February to Question 125706, on Poverty: Children, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the freeze on (a) child benefit and (b) child tax credits on child poverty in the last seven years.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The proportion of people in absolute poverty is at record lows. Since 2010 there are 600,000 fewer people in absolute poverty, including 200,000 fewer children. Work is the most effective way out of poverty and unemployment has not been lower since 1975. From 2008 to 2015, average earnings grew by 12%, whereas most working-age benefits increased by 21%.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Labour (Co-op) - Edmonton and Winchmore Hill)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect of the freeze in child benefit and child tax credits on child poverty in the past seven years.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The proportion of people in absolute poverty is at record lows. Since 2010 there are 600,000 fewer people in absolute poverty, including 200,000 fewer children. Work is the most effective way out of poverty and unemployment has not been lower since 1975. From 2008 to 2015, average earnings grew by 12%, whereas most working-age benefits increased by 21%.