, Chair of
the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS) Committee, has written to Alok
Sharma, Secretary of State for BEIS [letter available
via link] to call for further support for the self-employed and
freelancers who have lost work as a result of the response to
Coronavirus.
, Chair of
the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Committee said “The Chancellor’s package last
week to support businesses and employees was welcome. But,
with self-employed and freelancers still not
covered by support – even as many of their businesses are now
subject to lock-down – there is a worrying gap in the
Government’s strategy to protect these livelihoods which urgently
needs to be put right.
“Support rapidly needs to be extended to the self-employed
and freelancers, to increase the rate of statutory sick pay to
the real living wage to help those who are sick or
self-isolating, and for the Government to take the ambitious
steps required to support the over five million self-employed
people in the UK through this crisis.”
The letter from references evidence from witnesses
including IPSE (Association of Independent Professionals and the
Self Employed) and the FSB at last week’s BEIS Committee evidence
hearing on the impact of coronavirus on businesses and workers
Hermes and Deliveroo correspondence
The BEIS Committee has also published today recent correspondence
from Hermes and Deliveroo on measures
to protect their workers.
BEIS Committee wants to hear examples of businesses
supporting workers & national effort on coronavirus
