This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament
Rejected petition Make self-employed eligible for the 80% wage payment grants.
Make self-employed eligible for the 80% wage payment grants during the Covid-19 crisis.
Sole traders or small businesses without premises have no access to grants and can only claim Universal Credit at SSP rates which is not enough, especially as we don't know how long this crisis might last.
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There will be huge financial strain for self-employed people if their income is reduced to SSP rates. If employees can get 80%, then the self-employed should have their average monthly income used as a basis for 80% income support.
This petition was rejected
Why was this petition rejected?
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Since this petition was started, the Government has said that most self-employed people can claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the next 3 months.
You can find out who is eligible and how to apply here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme
You can read the Government’s announcement here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-gives-support-to-millions-of-self-employed-individuals
You can find out what other Government support is available for people as a result of coronavirus (under the section on employment and financial support) here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
We only reject petitions that don’t meet the petition standards.