Visual Arts: Self-employment Income Support Scheme

(asked on 13th July 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend and adapt the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme to take into account the specific needs of visual artists.


Answered by
Baroness Barran Portrait
Baroness Barran
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This question was answered on 27th July 2020

Self-employed visual artists are among the millions of people who are able to benefit from the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS). The SEISS has been extended, with applications opening in August, for a second and final grant. The grant will operate in the same way as the existing scheme, with self-employed workers eligible for a single payment covering three months, at a level of 70% of average monthly earnings up to a maximum of £6,570.

Alongside this, DCMS has worked closely with its arm’s-length bodies to deliver tailored support packages at speed, including the £160m Emergency Funding Package announced by Arts Council England (ACE) in March. This includes £20 million of financial support for individuals, including visual artists, so they can better sustain themselves, and their work, in the coming months. More than 9000 individuals and organisations have been successful in applying for this emergency funding.

On 5 July, the government also announced a major £1.57 billion package to provide support for key organisations across the cultural, heritage and creative sectors. As a result of these grants and loans, organisations will be more able to resume cultural activity, thereby increasing work opportunities for freelancers and self-employed practitioners.

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