Responding to the Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s pledge of financial support for the self-employed impacted by the coronavirus crisis, FSB NI Head of External Affairs, Roger Pollen has welcomed the move.
Commenting, Roger Pollen said:
“Over the last number of weeks self-employed people have seen support introduced for employee incomes and grants for some businesses, but have felt left behind as they have seen their own incomes dry up because of behavioural changes in light of the coronavirus.
“It is therefore welcome that the Chancellor has brought forward a package for self-employed people. FSB has been at the sharp-end of negotiations with the Government in recent days, arguing for this package to be as generous as possible.
“While what has been announced is not perfect, and will not deliver for everyone, it does provide income for our most hard-pressed self-employed - taxi-drivers, hairdressers, plumbers, electricians, and many more - who will have seen work disappear as people ‘socially distance’.
“This is an incredibly challenging situation for everyone. While the healthcare response is paramount, overcoming the economic disruption also requires a rapid response in the interests of jobs and future growth.
“Today’s announcement will give hope to many hard-working, self-employed entrepreneurs, and it is important that the scheme is ready on-time and delivered as soon as possible. As this will be delivered through the self-assessment system, it is vital that any late-filers submit their 2018-2019 return, right now, or they risk missing out.”