Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing (a) income protection and (b) access to statutory sick pay for freelancers in the creative industries.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) helps those adversely affected by COVID-19. The SEISS means the UK has one of the most generous self-employed COVID-19 support schemes in the world. The SEISS is available to eligible self-employed individuals in all sectors, including the creative industries. More details can be found at: www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme.

Some freelancers will be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay if they are classed as employees and if in the past eight weeks, they have earned on average at least £120 per week from a single employer. Statutory Sick Pay is paid by employers and is therefore not suitable for self-employed people.

However, self-employed people can claim benefits during sickness absence, either through Universal Credit (UC) or new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

The Government has relaxed the UC minimum income floor meaning that if self-employed claimants’ earnings have significantly reduced, their UC award will now increase to reflect their lower earnings.

The contributory ESA is available for people unable to work because they are ill with COVID-19 or self-isolating according to Government advice from the first day of sickness, rather than the eighth. This is paid to both employed and self-employed people who are incapable of work and who have a two years' full NICs record.