Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of (a) introducing a second phase of the Self Employed Income Support Scheme to align with the timescale of the Coronaviurs Job Retention Scheme and (b) introducing a further package of economic support for the self-employed.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced an extension of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme on 29 May and eligible individuals may now qualify for a second and final grant. This means the UK continues to have one of the most generous self-employed COVID-19 support schemes in the world as the economy reopens.

The extension of the SEISS now means that eligible individuals whose businesses are adversely affected by COVID-19 will be able to claim a second and final grant when the scheme reopens for applications in August. This will be a taxable grant worth 70 per cent of their average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment covering three months’ worth of profits, and capped at £6,570 in total. This is in line with changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme as the economy reopens, and the eligibility criteria remain the same for this final grant. An individual does not need to have claimed the first grant to receive the second grant: for example, they may only have been adversely affected by coronavirus in this later phase.

The SEISS is one element of a comprehensive package of Government support for individuals and businesses, including the self-employed. This package includes Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support,?increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.