“We welcome this comprehensive and generous package to support one of the most complex strands of our labour market. The complexities of building a support package for the self-employment has no doubt proved a significant challenge. We are pleased to see the fair approach to creating parity between this support scheme and the job retention scheme for employees.
“It’s vital that money is made available to workers facing immediate financial hardship as soon as possible. Many will already be suffering from reduced hours and cancelled services and will be anxious that they have to wait until June to benefit from the income support scheme. Ensuring that people can access Universal Credit as soon as possible in the meantime is crucial.
“There is also need a need for guidance on whether people who can still work some hours or jobs albeit in a greatly reduced capacity are still able to benefit from this scheme”
