Remove the cap on self-employed income support, so everyone can access help · petition

What the petition asks

Under the self-employed income support scheme an individual with profits in excess of £50000 for 18/19 (or 3 years to 2019) is excluded from accessing benefit. By contrast the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for employees, is uncapped on earnings. For a fair system, please remove the profits cap.

The gross inequality of the two schemes is causing mental and financial strain on many self-employed, leaving them with no income. The government should demonstrate equality; helping all self-employed to continue contributing to the economy and society, working with them to protect small businesses and not add them and any staff they have to the unemployed. Amend the scheme and remove the cap on trading profits; back dated to the start date of the furlough scheme, running for the same duration.

Why it was rejected

There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.

You may wish to sign this petition calling for the same action: Remove the £50k earnings limit for self-employed to access government funding

You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:

www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

The Government has also created an online service to help you out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support

You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips

You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/

You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more and watch the Committee put questions suggested by petitioners to Government Ministers and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/news/145767/committee-question-deputy-chief-medical-officer-and-ministers-on-coronavirus-response/

Read letters asking further questions of Government Ministers: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/publications/3/correspondence/

Timeline

22 Apr 2020	Petition opened for signatures
20 May 2020	Rejected by the Petitions Committee