IPSE slams gaps in self-employed support

The Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE) has urged the Government to liaise with business groups, as new support for self-employed individuals “misses the mark”.

The news comes as Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £4.6 billion package offering one-off grants up to £9,000 to businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.

However, IPSE has said the Government needs to “plug the gaps in self-employed support” and reduce the “severe impact” of the latest COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Derek Cribb, CEO of IPSE said the new restrictions will have a severe impact on the already struggling self-employed industry.

He said:

“The new support package, aimed at businesses with premises, misses the mark and will do little to mitigate the financial damage to the self-employed sector.

“After almost a year, there are still drastic gaps in the support available to the self-employed, with over 1.5 million sole directors, newly self-employed people and others still excluded.

“We urge the Government to work with business groups to plug these gaps and get support to freelancers in need over the coming months.”

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