Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department conducted an equalities impact assessment of the decision to exclude the 1.3 million self-employed people who have less than 50 per cent of their income coming from self-employment, from the self employment income support scheme.

The self-employed are very diverse and have a wide mix of turnover and profits, with monthly and annual variations even in normal times, and in some cases with substantial alternative forms of income too. The design of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), including the eligibility requirement that an individual’s trading profits must be at least equal to their non-trading income, means it is targeted at those who most need it, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income.

The Government takes equality considerations seriously and has been careful to give due regard to Public Sector Equality Duties throughout its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When designing the SEISS, the Treasury undertook an analysis of how the scheme, including the eligibility criteria, may affect individuals with protected characteristics, in line with its Public Sector Equality Duty.

The SEISS continues to be just one element of a substantial package of support for the self-employed. Those ineligible for the SEISS may still be eligible for other elements of the support available, including increased levels of Universal Credit, Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, mortgage holidays, self-isolation support payments and other business support grants.