Self employed scheme

[notonmywatchyouwont]

Aibu to wonder if, like the furlough scheme, Rishi Sunak will also extend the help for the self employed?

Cleaners and childminders are going to have to get tougher in saying clients have the choice of permanently giving up their service, or continuing to pay whether or not they are currently wanting the service.

I can't return yet. I'm a self employed peripatetic teacher doing sessions in schools. Schools haven't asked us to come back. Got hardly anything from the Gov as my maternity leave brought down my average and now I haven't earned enough to qualify for 30hrs childcare. Our preschool isn't opening for DCs age groups yet anyway but if they were, we couldn't afford to pay them.

Count yourself lucky if you got the first round of self employed grants - I couldn't get a penny because I only went self employed at the start of the 2019/20 tax year.

Can't even get sodding universal credit!

Second rate taxpayers indeed.

Everyone in my gym is self employed and gyms are closed

Ditto dds friends who work in theatres/hospitality

They will get MILLIONS of Universal Credit applications if they don't open those industries

Those of us whose work involves physical contact are still absolutely stuffed and will be for a fairly long time yet.

@StatisticalSense do you really think the only self employed people who will have ongoing work restrictions are hairdressers and beauticians? Is your scope of self employed people that limited?

@StatisticalSense you are forgetting the gym instructors, personal trainers, and anybody self employed who relies on these industries or the tourist/beauty industry.

The wedding planners, the florists, the photographers, the caterers, makeup artist etc Its not just hairdressers that are affected!

These industries won't fully recover this summer at all!

If unemployment is at the predicted levels, those industries won’t recover at all in the foreseeable future. They’re all luxuries that are the first to go when times are hard.

@Wale90
Most of those examples could already be resuming work in some form and realistically small business owners need to either adapt to the new reality or close (and therefore move onto regular benefits if entitled). PTs for example should be in more demand than ever showing people how to safely and effectively exercise in ways that can be achieved in open areas and offering remote appointments around in home exercise.

My DH can't go back to work either, he's a musician and teaches people an instrument in their own homes. All his gigs have been cancelled as well, including some into next year.

For all those in the performing arts industry it's really worrying.

@shookbelves both my kids music teachers are teaching them over skype or zoom, can't he do that? we are paying the full amount. Gigs obviously different.

@stasticalsense

I’m a self-employed squash coach, I also do racket stringing (like most coaches) to supplement my income. I work at 2 different clubs. All clubs are shut. Courts are shut so that means I can’t do individual lessons or group lessons. I also do the leagues for 1 of the clubs. The clubs are shut so there are no leagues. No racket stringing as nobody can play so the strings aren’t breaking. Until the clubs open, how do I get restarted?

The basic grant qad rubbish fir ne to begin with due to starting new jobs in the last two years. I will be receiving 50% of ehat I actually earned in March.
I have no control over starting back up and can't claim benefits due to dhs income.
Not expecting any more support from Govt.

I'm a self employed dog walker and while I can work, all my clients are furloughed and at home and don't want me! I haven't had a job since March and as I don't qualify for the SE scheme as I've not been running my business for long enough, I get diddly squat.

Luckily DH earns enough to support us both as I'm highly unlikely to get much work at all this summer!

@vanillandhoney
I need you!! Our dogwalker has had to stop because I’m the only one who wants her. She can’t live on just my money so she’s had to say no to me to find work that brings in a higher income

Absolutely devastated. She was PDSA animal first-aid trained, behaviourist, always turned up on time, stayed out with our dog if she felt he needed more (which of course we always paid for).

Have you asked your clients to spread the word for the interim, is that something you could do?

I have a dance school, we cannot resume classes at the moment, and usually have a fall in numbers across the summer holidays anyway. My students aren't interested in online classes, and their parents are reluctant to pay for them, they would only consider them if they were free, which defeats the purpose other than keeping their interest. I think that their should be further support for small businesses that cannot re open, otherwise they have to let us open and get on with it, they can't have it both ways.

@classiccar I have, and to their credit they have tried bless them!

But I get it. Everyone's at home so why pay for a dog walker who you only use because you're out all day at work? Luckily we have no DC and DH earns well so if I only have one dog a week for a while then I'll just go along with that until things pick up again!

A large proportion of workers in the performing arts are freelance, and not likely to be able to go back to work any time soon. Not just actors but designers, technicians, stage managers. No TV or films being made at present for any of them to transfer over to. Really tough.

@lockdownstress DH did consider doing lessons like that, but the majority of his pupils are older adults and honestly it wouldn't work the same way. They like the lessons as a social thing as much as anything.

@MaudesMum you're right, there's also set builders, sound & lighting engineers, on-set caterers, dancers, singers, comedians, circus performers, entertainment staff on cruise ships & holiday parks etc, stunt people, make-up artists, producers, chaperones, people who teach in dance and MT schools, rehearsal pianists, they are pretty much all self-employed and work hourly or on short-term contracts. The arts venues & theatres etc will hopefully get help from the Arts Council, but the people? It's a catastrophe. (Can you tell I know a fair few people affected?)

We can return to work and some of us have been able to work all along. However that isn't the problem. The problem is for many s/e people the work has dried up! I work in charity comms and am usually quite busy and even when not I tick along nicely most of the time. All my work has gone and there isn't a lot going that I can apply for tho of course I am.

I have freelance journo friends who have no work.

I'm very grateful for the grant I received today. For me it represents one month's money even tho it's officially three but I'm glad to get anything at all. If we get another hit, even if it's only a third of this one, I'll be grateful for it.

shookbelves - It sounds as if the scale of the problem is beyond the Arts Council's budget, unfortunately - if there isn't extra Government money a lot will run out of money over the autumn.

We can return to work and some of us have been able to work all along. However that isn't the problem. The problem is for many s/e people the work has dried up!

Precisely! I'm in the same situation - open and very much advertising that fact, but nobody is interested. They're all at home and don't want to spend £50 a week on a dog walker anymore. I've said people can just have one walk a week/fortnight if they want it but nobody's biting.

I can't force people to use my services!

I don’t think any more money will be coming, but I’m very grateful for the money I have got from the scheme!! The money arrived today in my account , I will have to be very careful with money for quite a long time. As I can’t see me getting any work for a least few months.

@stasticalsense
There are estimated to be 5 million self employed in the UK
Yes some will have restarted work , but I doubt they are getting anywhere near their usual clients / orders
Adapting will be difficult - there is going to be mass unemployment- and not exactly a huge amount of opportunities or jobs are going to be available
I have been lucky as I have still been able to trade online , but have lost all the markets , events and trade fairs for spring and summer