to be pissed off with the SEISS?

[cosmobrown]

My dh is self employed and has worked consistently in the West End Theatres for 20 years. His income was £52k, so a good income.
Now of course his work is closed and his income has dropped to £9k.
AIBU to be pissed off that our friend who is paye and normally earns £120k is getting £2.5k pm whilst not working, and we're getting nothing? Friends wife is still earning her £65k wage.

So our family income has now gone from £62k to £19k, and we get no help, but friends income has gone from £185k to £65k and they're getting help from gov.

I know we're talking about good wages here, but I'm feeling pissed off. Our savings have almost gone, and we've still got just under £20k tax to pay in Jan.

It’s rubbish 😕 we’re both SE and it really does feel like we’re suffering a lot more than PAYE doesn’t it

I know. We all live to our means, and I know people earn a lot less, and we're lucky etc etc…but our income doesn't cover our mortgage, bills and food anymore.
I reckon our friend has likely received £20k from the gov.

There are lots of people in this situation, check out #excludeduk on Facebook and Twitter.
My daughter was denied furlough, my mum was anew starter and missed out on furlough and I didn’t qualify for the Seiss as newly self employed. None of us have had any income this year.

It’s shit but it’s the risk you take when you choose to be self employed.

No point being annoyed at your friend; it’s not her fault.

Yup, it does not suit everyone.

Furlough was an Ill-thought out blunt instrument. Cant believe they've extended across the board until March. Targeted help, universal basic income, some proof from employers that furlough was necessary...all better options than the way it's being dished out atm imho.

However none of that would help you I'm afraid, do probably best not to compare.

You will get the 3rd SEISS payment in December and it has been increased back up to 80% for 3 months iirc. I hope that can take a little pressure off you

It's a shitshow all round

Nope. We are eligible for the SEISS scheme payments.

emilyfrost
No, that's not right. I'm pissed off because the gov support is not equal. We pay taxes just like paye workers. A paye worker earning over £50k can get help, but a SE worker cannot.

SOrry - we are NOT eligible for any SEISS payments.

It’s shit but it’s the risk you take when you choose to be self employed.

under normal circumstances, yes. But in the position that you can't work because the government has closed down your work, being self-employed shouldn't mean penury. SE people pay tax as much as anyone else and should benefit in the same way.

Oh, and I'm not pissed off at my friend - it's not their fault. If someone gives you money then you take it of course.

I'm pissed off at the continued lack of help from the gov for many many people, and the lack of parity across the schemes.

That is tough.

£52k is just over threshold.

I don’t think it should be up to employer threshold (ie anyone can claim) but I understand how galling it must be to be just over

How is someone who earns 120K receiving £ from govt?

Crap innit.

Same boat here. We employ 19 people, many of whom have been furloughed this year. On £2500. As directors we get fuck all.

Pisses us right off, we set the business up, pay our taxes, created good jobs for many people.

Tax returns for people like us will be interesting this year.

Why should we not get the same as employees?

@MarshaBradyo

That is tough.

£52k is just over threshold.

I don’t think it should be up to employer threshold (ie anyone can claim) but I understand how galling it must be to be just over

I have a lot of sympathy for individuals who fall on the wrong side of the line

But they have to set the line somewhere. I assume they thought people who earn more than £50K are likely to have savings

Out of interest what is their sector?

Most furlough is at lower end iirc but not sure of proportion

notanothhertakeaway
Yes, but why only for the self employed? Why not cap all workers who earn over £50k?

marshaBradyo
It's something to do with science research they work in.

@emilyfrost

It’s shit but it’s the risk you take when you choose to be self employed.

No point being annoyed at your friend; it’s not her fault.

Many people who are 'self employed' aren't like that by choice but because the people who employ them don't want to bother with inconveniences like employment rights and permanent contracts.

And this isn't contactors on £x hundred per day but people in the gig economy who consider themselves to be doing well if they make nmw.

DP has been a freelancer in the entertainment industry for the last 10 years but had had precisely £0 from SEISS because he was on PAYE for one of his main clients around 2 years ago. Ridiculous.

But they have to set the line somewhere. I assume they thought people who earn more than £50K are likely to have savings

If someone is supporting a family on that income in a high cost area, they're not going to have spare money to save.

YANBU to be annoyed at the lack of government support for the self employed.
YABVVU to be jealous of your 'friend', it is not their fault. If you were my friend talking about me like that we wouldn't be friends for much longer.
You say your friend normally earns £120k, or £10k per month, and is now getting £2.5k per month, or £30k pa furlough money. Thats a 75% drop in income! While the amount they earn seems huge, people often live to their means and that sort of drop in income virtually overnight could lead to immediate financial problems. Everyone is struggling and while your situation is terribly unfair, you're directing your anger at the wrong people

I agree with @Itsorange

You're not unreasonable at all OP, but government support wasn't about helping individuals, it was about being able to say 'look at all these businesses we've saved'. Other countries directed support at individuals, closer to a universal basic income, to ensure everybody had something.

For those who have had to claim Universal Credit, things are going to get even worse. In April the temporary increase is going to be stopped, so people that were absolutely living on a minimum are suddenly going to have to cut another £20 from their budget each week.

@cosmobrown

notanothhertakeaway Yes, but why only for the self employed? Why not cap all workers who earn over £50k?

It does feel unfair if you’ve just missed out but I think it goes back to the reason for furlough which was to keep as many employees as possible tied to their companies. Without it he might be unemployed.

And your friend hasn't received 20k from the government, their employer has. So they have basically stopped paying their employees and got the government to sub them instead. Again, this is not your friends fault at all!

FWIW I agree, the support should be there for all who work and pay tax, I've no idea why it's been done the way it has. It's shit

itsorange
As I said, I'm pissed off with the lack of support from the gov.

I used my friends figures to explain the lack of parity between the SEISS and Furlough schemes.

We have experienced an overnight drop in income too but do not qualify for any help.