COVID-19 & Self-Employment
With the current COVID-19 climate, we are now in a world filled with great uncertainty but we are hopeful that the situation gets better and we resume our normal daily lives.
The pandemic of COIVD-19 has brought drastic changes to our way of working. For many of us we have set up our offices in our bedrooms and working remotely and keeping in touch with your teams via slack, email, teams etc… But for the 4.9 million self-employed people across the country, it’s a little more difficult.
Those coming from creative backgrounds such as freelance photographers, filmmakers, designers, facilitator and many more have seen cancellation after cancellation. Clients terminating contracts for the unforeseen future, venues unplugging their events programmes and programmes being postponed until further notice. We acknowledge how stressful the situation is at present, so we collated some key information and helpful links to support you in the meanwhile.
💰 Getting financial support
The government has said that those who are not eligible for statuatory sick pay, like self employed people, will be able to claim Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) from day one instead of day eight. But this only works if you are actually sick or have been advised to self isolate. Many self-employed people are struggling because work is being cancelled during the outbreak.
If you need to claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) because of coronavirus, you will not be required to produce a Fit Note. If you are affected by coronavirus you will be able to apply for Universal Credit and can receive up to a month’s advance upfront without physically attending a jobcentre.
If you are suffering from coronavirus or are required to stay at home and want to apply for ESA, the usual 7 waiting days for new claimants will not apply. ESA will be payable from day one.
There are things you can do if you are struggling. The first step might be to reduce costs – speak to your energy provider, bank and anyone else you pay regularly about what is happening. You can even ask HMRC if you can reduce payments on account.
🔥 If you’re making a new claim
Don’t delay making a benefit claim, even if you think you may be affected by coronavirus.
You can apply for Universal Credit online. If you need to make an appointment, call the number you are given when you submit your claim, and explain the situation. Jobcentre Plus staff are ready to support you if you are required to stay at home.
The Minimum Income Floor (MIF) has been temporarily suspended for those who are “directly affected by COVID-19 or self-isolating according to government advice”.
The usual requirement for people claiming Universal Credit to attend a face-to-face meeting at a Jobcentre has been scrapped. Rather, you could receive up to one month’s advance without attending a Jobcentre.
You will not be required to produce a doctor’s note – referred to in the process as a Fit Note. The government’s Universal Credit website says an NHS 111 Online Fit Note service is “currently under development and will be available soon”.
If you are in work and not claiming benefits or if you are already claiming benefits. You can find out more information by following the link below
🌍 FINDING YOUR COMMUNITY
Here are a couple of links where you can connect with other freelancers and self-employed individuals. These are some great places to seek additional advice and information with these sites and contacts.