To think self-employed mums are being screwed over in this support package?

[AiryFairyMum]

I dutifully did my claim for Self-Employment Income Support Scheme this morning.

I am self-employed but can't work at the moment because my industry is closed. I have always paid my tax on time, and should have been eligible for 80% of my usual profits (not takings, but that's another story). But because I took maternity leave four years ago and didn't earn as much in that one year, my average is lower, and I'm losing out on a big chunk of what I should be able to apply for.

AIBU to think that maternity leave should be exempt from the calculation for support?

[Oliversmumsarmy]

Friends stbxh has been putting down he is on a minuscule salary so can’t pay her any maintenance. (Cash business and so she couldn’t claim anything from him)

He is wild. She thinks he was earning close to £50,000 per year . Now he is only getting 80% of an amount under £10,000.

[Xenia]

Yes, the sole tradver v furlough PAYE people is so unfair - eg the furlough person could normally be on £20m a year and would still get the £2k a month. Many furlough people are allowed to get the £2k and then get a second job which could even be £100k a year and still get the furlough money! Some have doubled their income on furlough for that reason alone.

[1805]

Xenia
yes, so so unfair. I don't understand why this hasn't had more publicity. And as for Sunak saying the SE people earning over £50k have an average salary of £200k is useless. What are the £51k earners supposed to do??

[Bflatmajorsharp]

I think it's unlikely, given social distancing and the fact that most businesses have been closed for a couple of months now, that people who have been furloughed have got an additional job at all, let alone one paying £100k pa tbh.

I think it's fair to say that furloughed people who have doubled their income are few and far between.

But the sensible point in this hyperbole stands - it would have been more equitable for the self employed grant to be capped at the same rate per month as the furlough regardless of income.

[Bflatmajorsharp]

1805 there was a petition about this when the measures were first announced, but I don't think that it gathered much momentum.

I do agree with you, but to most people £50k pa is a huge amount of money and people earning this aren't particularly a group to garner sympathy.

Which I can understand in the current economic circumstances tbh. Over 2 million people have claimed Universal Credit in the last two months for example, and there hasn't been much said about this either.

[Northernsoulgirl45]

Yep I am very part time self employed due to caring responsibility. But this year and to a degree last year I took on more work but I won't get credit for this.
Thankfully dh is still on full pay for now but will be part time soon.
No idea if I will even have work in July.
Yet people constantly go on about the generous support package for self employed. What a joke.

[Student58]

But some SE people will actually be better off than they usually would on this scheme as you can work and claim the grant. You have to have less profit to claim the grant but you don't have to have nothing.

So yes its in every way unfair, but a fair scheme would have taken years to work out.

[Prisonbreak]

My business was only up and running 4 months so I can’t claim a penny. Not able to get the £10000 either as I don’t own the building. Not eligible for UC due to boyfriend wage ( also self employed)
I’d much rather take whatever your getting

[SerendipitySunshine]

I agree - if is structural discrimination and should be challenged. Can your MP help?

[1805]

I wrote to MP but he was not helpful.
I don't understand why all workers are not treated the same. Why not just stop help for everyone earning £50k?

[zscaler]

YANBU, and it’s a pretty clear breach of EU law as well.