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Freelancers during this crisis and the Self Employment Income Support Scheme

How much was your total government grant?

  • £1-£99

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • £100-£199

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • £200-£299

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • £300-£499

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • £500-£799

    Votes: 3 13.0%
  • £800-£999

    Votes: 1 4.3%
  • £1,000-£2,499

    Votes: 8 34.8%
  • £2,500-£4,999

    Votes: 3 13.0%
  • £5,000-£9,999

    Votes: 7 30.4%
  • Over ten grand - reeeeesult *champagne corks pop

    Votes: 1 4.3%

  • Total voters
    23
Is this latest annoucement properly helpful then for you, cupid_stunt ?
Good news if so .... cheers! :)
My older brother (self-employed/sole-trader piano tuner since early 1980s :eek: ) seems relieved with it anyway :)

Very helpful, cheers Wil, as it will be for millions, it could have been better, but as I was expecting no extension, I am happy enough.
 
Sunak has announced another 3 month payment, but only at 70%, for the self-employed, applications open towards the end of August, with payment soon after.

However, he has said that will be it, no further extension, despite the furlough scheme running until the end of Oct.

Better than I expected, TBH.

That would certainly be helpful.

I did some depressing calculations today. If I take an additional shift on PAYE, so I've used tax free allowance, its £5.60 an hour after deductions. :rollseyes:
 
So I claimed the first lot just over 5 grand which I'll split between 19/20 and 20/21 accounts. Although I've continued to work, I haven't been adversely affected. My accounts will probably be quite consistent, or maybe higher with the seiss payment, which I don't know if it'll raise alarm bells so...

Not sure if I should claim the second lot in August...?!

Do you think hmrc will be include an extra box of how much seiss we're declaring on a particular accounting year in January or up to the individual to just add it to our turnover?
 
So I claimed the first lot just over 5 grand which I'll split between 19/20 and 20/21 accounts. Although I've continued to work, I haven't been adversely affected. My accounts will probably be quite consistent, or maybe higher with the seiss payment, which I don't know if it'll raise alarm bells so...

Not sure if I should claim the second lot in August...?!

Do you think hmrc will be include an extra box of how much seiss we're declaring on a particular accounting year in January or up to the individual to just add it to our turnover?
There was a box to tick on the first claim to say that your income has been adversely affected by the situation. If that’s not the case, you can’t really tick it.
 
I think a lot of people ticked it when maybe they shouldn't have. How do they define 'adversely affected'? Is it quantifiable? I haven't seen any figures or boundaries?

Regardless, we're all going to pay it back over decades, the grant is taxable too, and NIC will be raised for self employed very soon. I don't have any moral qualms here.

I'm just wondering if I should go back in the trough for another modest helping, or try not to raise those pesky algorithmic alarm bells.
 
I think a lot of people ticked it when maybe they shouldn't have. How do they define 'adversely affected'? Is it quantifiable? I haven't seen any figures or boundaries?

Regardless, we're all going to pay it back over decades, the grant is taxable too, and NIC will be raised for self employed very soon. I don't have any moral qualms here.

I'm just wondering if I should go back in the trough for another modest helping, or try not to raise those pesky algorithmic alarm bells.
Yeah, was just meaning it could flag something up.
“You can’t really tick it...,” and not expect some kind of response.
 
Just realised the self employment payment gets deducted from my UC so next month I will get nothing. Fucking piss take :mad:
Was talking to someone 2 days ago in the same situation who rang them and apparently they are supposed to smooth it over the 3 months of UC it covers, might be worth giving UC a call to check or put a question in your journal. (I'm in a similar situationso keen to hear :) )
So I claimed the first lot just over 5 grand which I'll split between 19/20 and 20/21 accounts. Although I've continued to work, I haven't been adversely affected. My accounts will probably be quite consistent, or maybe higher with the seiss payment, which I don't know if it'll raise alarm bells so...

Not sure if I should claim the second lot in August...?!

Do you think hmrc will be include an extra box of how much seiss we're declaring on a particular accounting year in January or up to the individual to just add it to our turnover?
HMRC will know how much they have paid you... (I like the fact you smoothed it over 2 accounting years, obviously earning too much to be on a cash basis accounting)

I think a lot of people ticked it when maybe they shouldn't have. How do they define 'adversely affected'? Is it quantifiable? I haven't seen any figures or boundaries?

Regardless, we're all going to pay it back over decades, the grant is taxable too, and NIC will be raised for self employed very soon. I don't have any moral qualms here.

I'm just wondering if I should go back in the trough for another modest helping, or try not to raise those pesky algorithmic alarm bells.
the honest "don't be a dole scrounger" answer is... fill in the blank yourself ... no one but YOU ticked that box ;-)

edited before posting: I love a scrounger <3 <3 <3
 
Was talking to someone 2 days ago in the same situation who rang them and apparently they are supposed to smooth it over the 3 months of UC it covers, might be worth giving UC a call to check or put a question in your journal. (I'm in a similar situationso keen to hear :) )
HMRC will know how much they have paid you... (I like the fact you smoothed it over 2 accounting years, obviously earning too much to be on a cash basis accounting)

the honest "don't be a dole scrounger" answer is... fill in the blank yourself ... no one but YOU ticked that box ;-)

edited before posting: I love a scrounger <3 <3 <3
The payment is for unspecified accounting years. Given the pandemic and start date of seiss occurred over 2 accounting years, it makes sense to split over two - no other reason, Einstein.
 
I think a lot of people ticked it when maybe they shouldn't have. How do they define 'adversely affected'? Is it quantifiable? I haven't seen any figures or boundaries?

Regardless, we're all going to pay it back over decades, the grant is taxable too, and NIC will be raised for self employed very soon. I don't have any moral qualms here.

I'm just wondering if I should go back in the trough for another modest helping, or try not to raise those pesky algorithmic alarm bells.

I reckon if five grand is 'modest' to you then you can probably afford to pay your taxes.
 
I had 2 decent jobs last month, £600 and £2240. One new client and one I have done work for in the past. One for a landlord and the other a nursery (kids not plants). They both tried to negotiate the price down after the work was done. Told both to pay what they want but not to call me again if it's not the full amount. £600 client has paid in full and will find out later about the other one. Might have cut off my nose but they can fuck off if they're going to take advantage of this situation to screw me over when I've worked up to 14 hour days on their jobs to improve their businesses.
 
I had 2 decent jobs last month, £600 and £2240. One new client and one I have done work for in the past. One for a landlord and the other a nursery (kids not plants). They both tried to negotiate the price down after the work was done. Told both to pay what they want but not to call me again if it's not the full amount. £600 client has paid in full and will find out later about the other one. Might have cut off my nose but they can fuck off if they're going to take advantage of this situation to screw me over when I've worked up to 14 hour days on their jobs to improve their businesses.
That's quite a good strategy. Invite them to take advantage, but in full awareness that there will be a cost - albeit non-financial - to doing so.

And, of course, ensure you bulk up future invoices to that client to give you some wiggle room if they decide to make a habit of this...

In a way, you'd be cutting your nose off more comprehensively if you let them just shit on you and went back for more!
 
So apparently there are 3 million self-employed/freelance people who fall between the cracks of the government provision and qualify for nothing, which is the situation mr csj is in. This issue has been gaining more traction in the media (BBC did a piece on a hairdresser I think it was who qualified for nothing and was at risk of losing her business and home).

I've come across this organisation/campaingn Excluded UK | An Inclusive Alliance for the Excluded which is trying to remedy the situation. Tbh we're not that hopeful anything will change, and it's hard to have the heart to look properly into this as yet.

I also joined an FB group Log in to Facebook | Facebook I think it was set up by & for people in the arts/entertainment industry, but also has general advice.
 
Just in case it concern some one her: if you were on parental leave in the 2018-19 year and this made you ineligible for SEISS the rules have been amended so you are now entitled with your previous two years tax returns if they qualify you.
 
I'm about to start a full time job because of covid. I didn't want to, but the agency work was getting short and if I'm going to do this into next year then it will make it more meaningful.

If I'm honest I've slogged my guts out, but financially I'm probably no worse of then if I'd been self employed. This may continue although I'm not sure yet. If I claim the next payment do you think they'll ask for it back at the end of the year?
 
I'm about to start a full time job because of covid. I didn't want to, but the agency work was getting short and if I'm going to do this into next year then it will make it more meaningful.

If I'm honest I've slogged my guts out, but financially I'm probably no worse of then if I'd been self employed. This may continue although I'm not sure yet. If I claim the next payment do you think they'll ask for it back at the end of the year?

We’ve had a lot of new starter drivers from a variety of previous employment - one guy was from direct sales selling double glazing, one guy worked on aeroplane interiors (upholstery fwiu), both lost their jobs when Covid kicked in.

The aeroplane guy is 62 yrs old and as a new starter is on 65% nursery routes (Amazon delivery) and says he can barely manage that - doubt he will be here much longer once he goes up to 80% then full routes.

Group work text went out yesterday saying some drivers were expiring their on the road drive time (10hrs) so when drivers looked like they were in that position they would have to send support drivers to them to take parcels off them at £1 per drop. Imagine slogging away for 10hrs only to have £20/£30 taken off you.
 
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We’ve had a lot of new starter drivers from a variety of previous employment - one guy was from direct sales selling double glazing, one guy worked on aeroplane interiors (upholstery fwiu), both lost their jobs when Covid kicked in.

The aeroplane guy is 62 yrs old and as a new starter is on 65% nursery routes (Amazon delivery) and says he can barely manage that - doubt he will be here much longer once he goes up to 80% then full routes.

Group work text went out yesterday saying some drivers were expiring their on the road drive time (10hrs) so when drivers looked like they were in that position they would have to send support drivers to them to take parcels off them at £1 per drop. Imagine slogging away for 10hrs only to have £20/£30 taken off you.
Is that what you get £1 a drop?, regardless presumably of how many parcels per drop? Do things like fuel and running costs come out of that? (I'm guessing yes)
 
Is that what you get £1 a drop?, regardless presumably of how many parcels per drop? Do things like fuel and running costs come out of that? (I'm guessing yes)

Thats what you get if you are a support driver for the day (£1 per drop). Amazon have now dropped Covid hazard pay of extra £2 per hour so 9 hr routes are back to £116 (ex VAT).
 
HEADS-UP - Applications for the second 3-months payment under the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme opens on Tue. 14th July.

And, for anyone that hasn't claimed the first grant, you only have until Mon. 13th July to do so. I was talking to a client yesterday that has been hit badly and hadn't even heard of the scheme. :facepalm:

Find out about the extension to the scheme
This scheme is being extended, and you’ll be able to claim a second and final grant in August 2020.

We will work out your eligibility the same way as the first grant. If you make a claim for the second grant you will have to confirm your business has been adversely affected on or after 14 July 2020.

This grant will be a taxable grant worth 70% of your average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering a further 3 months’ worth of profits, and capped at £6,570 in total.

You can claim for the second and final grant even if you did not make a claim for the first grant.

The online service for the second and final grant is not available yet. Do not contact us as we will update this guidance when this service is available. Sign up for email alerts for any changes to this page.



 
Freelance, finished project dec 20th 2019 was due to start something jan 13th 2020 but was put back re budget issues was due to start long run of work 9th march that got cancelled and my plan B a start in april fell apart monday,Ringing around yesterday loads of jobs/studios closing down everything on hold ,uncertain times ahead


Pending result of todays covid test........Im back ..start monday ,its been tough ,that is all
 
Just wondering if anyone has received a text/email yet confirming eligibility for second payment, or do we simply start applying from Monday, 17th August?

Do they need to let us know we're eligible again, if we already received first payment?
 
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