Mass Media: Coronavirus

(asked on 22nd July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans the Government has to provide additional support to freelance workers in the media during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
John Whittingdale Portrait
John Whittingdale
This question was answered on 9th September 2020

The Government has taken and continues to take action to support media organisations, and all those who work in them, during this time.

For those who are self-employed, the Government has set up the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which has helped millions of people across the UK, with those eligible receiving a cash grant worth 80% of their average monthly trading profit over the last three years. This covers 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment. The scheme has helped many eligible freelance workers, including those in the media, receive up to £2,500 per month in grants, and our support for those who are self-employed is far more comprehensive, generous and longer lasting than almost any other country.

In addition, from 1 July employers have been able to bring back to work employees who have previously been furloughed for any amount of time and any shift pattern, while still being able to claim for their normal hours not worked.

The Government remains determined to do all it can to help sectors, including the Media, in their recovery and return to profitability. Only by helping the overall economy to stabilise and grow will we be able to ensure a safe and prosperous future for freelance workers.

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