Stop freelancers losing large amounts of time and money each year to the UK's poor payment culture.
Policy recommendations
Make 30 days the UK’s standard commercial payment term
Back the Small Business Commissioner with greater powers for proactive policing of poor payment practices, mediation, and raising awareness of payment rights
Build a SME online dispute resolution platform
Build a UK Prompt Payment Index to track performance over time
Include payment practices within the remit of company audit committees and require them to report payment practices in annual reports
Representing and supporting the self-employed
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Read our latest report 'Late payment and nonpayment: Reviewing the prevalance and impact within the self-employed sector'
The government must build upon its work to improve commercial payment practices by providing an even stronger incentive for companies to pay their freelancers promptly. For business leaders, they need to understand that their actions impact their reputation as well as the livelihoods of thousands of freelancers that help drive growth for their companies and the wider economy.
Read the report
Read our report 'Pay up: how to end late payment for the self-employed'
We want to end the culture of late payment: We need to stop freelancers losing large amounts of time and money each year to the UK’s poor payment culture by giving the Small Business Commissioner powers to fine and ‘name and shame’ late payers.
Read the report
If you’re affected by late payment or want to know how to prevent it in future, follow IPSE’s practical checklist:
| Set your payment terms and conditions early and ensure these are in a written contract |
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| Know your rights when it comes to charging interest and debt recovery and be willing to use them: https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery |
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| Contact the office of the Small Business Commissioner to get help and advice: https://www.smallbusinesscommissioner.gov.uk/enquiries-and-complaints/ |
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| Check the payment practices of businesses before you contract with them: https://www.gov.uk/check-when-businesses-pay-invoices |
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| Consider investing in payment software - an automated system to send invoices and notify you once payment has been made |
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