Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current financial situation of self-employed people whose income in 2018/19 was over £50,000; and what plans they have, if any, to offer financial support to those people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The Government recognises that taxpayers have faced immense challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The design of the SEISS, including the £50,000 threshold for average trading profits, means it is targeted at those who most need it and who are most reliant on their self-employment income.
However, those with average trading profits above £50,000 may still be eligible for other elements of the substantial financial support provided by the Government. The SEISS continues to be just one element of a package of support for the self-employed which includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to use information from 2019/20 income tax returns to assess whether people previously disqualified from financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic should now be entitled to such support.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
The practical issues that prevented the Government from being able to include the newly self-employed in 2019-20 in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), namely that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) do not have access to their self-assessment returns in order to verify their eligibility, still remain.
The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed. Those ineligible for the SEISS Grant Extension may still be eligible for other elements of the support available. The Universal Credit standard allowance has been temporarily increased for 2020-21 and the Minimum Income Floor relaxed for the duration of the crisis, so that where self-employed claimants' earnings have fallen significantly, their Universal Credit award will have increased to reflect their lower earnings. In addition to this, they may also have access to other elements of the package, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.
Asked by: Baroness Hamwee (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of answering written parliamentary questions in 2012–13, 2013–14 and 2014–15.
Answered by Lord O'Neill of Gatley
While Her Majesty's Government does not monitor the total costs of all written parliamentary questions, HM Treasury does set a disproportionate cost threshold based on the estimated cost of answering them. This cost was most recently assessed at £164 per written question.