Self-employed workers are being pushed to a “cliff-edge” in the coronavirus pandemic, Labour warned tonight. Applicants who were eligible for the first tranche Self-Employment Income Support Scheme can apply for a second, smaller three-month grant between Monday and October 17, but will receive nothing more after that.
Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodd feared hundreds of thousands of self-employed workers relying on the scheme to get them through the next three months face hardship in the autumn.
Government figures show 2.7 million people submitted claims during the first phase of the scheme, accessing £7.8billion in support.