Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that taxpayers who are unable to make an application for the Self Employment Grant Scheme themselves can have their application submitted by a third party already appointed as their agent.

The new Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) helps those adversely affected by COVID-19. By midnight 21 June 2020, HMRC had received 2.6m claims representing a total of £7.6bn claimed.

HMRC recognise the important role that agents play in supporting people who are self-employed. Due to the speed at which HMRC are delivering the SEISS it has not been possible to offer agents the ability to claim on behalf of their clients. However, the process has been designed to be as simple as possible, and HMRC do all the calculations for taxpayers.

Anyone who cannot apply online can contact HMRC by telephone to submit their claim.