What did Rishi Sunak say about the self employment grant and will it be extended?

24 September 2020, 13:21

Rishi Sunak announces Jobs Support Scheme

Rishi Sunak announced that the self employment grant will be extended as he unveiled his Winter Economy Plan today.

Millions of self-employed people will receive extra support during the winter, Rishi Sunak announced today.

Unveiling his Winter Economy Plan in the House of Commons today, the Chancellor said that the self-employment grant will be extended in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Read more: Rishi Sunak announces end of furlough and launches new 'jobs support scheme'

Currently, the self-employment income support scheme (SEISS) allows workers to claim up to £7,500 to help cover costs if they are unable to work because of coronavirus.

The Chancellor has not confirmed who will be eligible for the extended scheme, or how much money they can claim.

He did confirm, though that the scheme will be "on similar terms" to the job support scheme, also announced today, which will see the government topping up the wages of people working at least a third of their usual hours.

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Rishi said: "Throughout this crisis we have sought parity between employees and the self employed, providing more than £13billion of support to 2.6million self-employed small businesses.

"So I am extending the self-employed grant on similar terms and conditions as the Jobs Support Scheme."

The New Coronavirus Measures Announced By The Prime Minister

Announcing the job support scheme, he said: "I cannot save every business, I cannot save every job.

"What we can and must do is deal with the real problems businesses and employees are facing now."

Through the new jobs support scheme, the Government will directly support the wages of people in work "giving businesses who face demand the option of keeping employees in a job on shorter hours rather than making them redundant".

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