Campaigning
IPSE fights for what is right for you and your business. We campaign to Government and industry leaders to build a better world so you can grow your business and be happy and healthy in your everyday life.
IPSE: Delay is “another sharp blow” to “freelancers running on fumes”
- 14 Jun 2021
IPSE has said the delay to the easing of lockdown restrictions is “another sharp blow” to freelancer-dominated industries such as events, the night-time economy and the creative sector.
Highlighting that these industries have already suffered significantly from the gaps in freelancer support, IPSE has called for the urgent creation of a “sectoral support and stimulus package” that filters down from hiring business to the freelancers and self-employed people in their supply chain. This is vital, IPSE has said, not only to support freelancers through the continued restrictions, but also to ensure these affected industries can get back on their feet quickly once the economy opens again.
Andy Chamberlain, Director of Policy at IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed), said: “The delay to the easing of lockdown restrictions is another sharp blow to freelancer-dominated industries such as events, the night-time economy and the creative sector. These are industries where you can find many of the million freelancers who are still excluded from support and the delay will make matters even worse for them.
“These sectors have been pummelled by the financial damage of the pandemic, and many freelancers working in these areas are running on fumes and taking on debt just to get by. Although there may be a clear case for delaying the easing of restrictions, government must match this with further and more targeted support to these devastated sectors and the freelancers who work in them.
“We are urging government to introduce a sectoral support and stimulus package to protect the most affected sectors: to support them through the continuing restrictions and also enable them to get back on their feet quickly when the economy re-opens. These are some of the biggest sectors for freelancers, and some of the most significant for the UK economy: they must not be an afterthought in the government’s roadmap.”
Coronavirus Hub
The self-employed have been hit particularly hard during the pandemic, with many excluded from government support. However, IPSE has been here throughout the pandemic, advocating on your behalf, member or not, and supporting our members with helplines, webinars and advice.
How to apply for SEISS
Read IPSE's step by step guide on how to apply for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme - and what you might need to know before applying.
Meet the author
