Chancellor announces measures to protect the self-employed 

Earlier this week, the House of Commons Public Bill Committee has put forward an amendment to the Coronavirus Bill to support freelancers and self-employed people through the outbreak of COVID-19

The amendment, titled ‘Statutory Self-Employment Pay’, meant government would ‘top up’ the earnings of self-employed people and freelancers - up to 80 percent of their monthly net earnings, averaged over the previous three years, or £2,917 per month. The figure payable will be whichever is the lower of the two.

Sunak has now confirmed government will pay self-employed people, affected by the coronavirus outbreak, a grant of up to £2,500 per month - or 80 percent of their average monthly profits over the previous three years, in alignment with how the government will reimburse employers in relation to furloughed workers.