IPSE, the Self-Employed Association, has today hailed the government’s late payment reforms as a major step forward, recognising the move as a genuine attempt to fix a culture that has left the self-employed waiting far too long to be paid.
The announcement outlines a strengthened package of measures, including a new maximum 60‑day payment term, mandatory interest on late invoices, and significantly enhanced powers for the Small Business Commissioner to investigate poor payment practices and issue substantial fines to persistent offenders.
Vicks Rodwell, Managing Director at IPSE – The Self-Employed Association, said: “The self-employed have dealt with late payment for so many years that many no longer expect clients to pay on time. Today’s announcement signals a real intention to shift the culture around payment, and that gives freelancers something they haven’t had for a long time: a sense that things might finally change.
“When payments are delayed, it’s our smallest businesses that feel the impact straight away. They’re trying to keep their businesses moving, manage everyday life and still produce high‑quality work, all while the money they’re owed is sitting with the client. Too many have spent hours chasing invoices, knowing they have very little leverage when a payment is dragged out.
"Stronger enforcement and real consequences for those who repeatedly pay late could begin to break that cycle and give the self-employed the confidence and certainty they’ve been missing.”
ENDS
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