Chapter 7: Create fair employment and good work for all
The picture on self employed business
Covid-19 restrictions made it difficult for some self-employed business to continue to operate at times during the pandemic.
5,600 self-employed Gateshead residents (89% of those eligible) accessed £47.6m grant support across all five rounds of the Self Employed Incomes Support scheme operated by HMRC. In the final round for the period ending 30 September 2021 2400 were still claiming due to a loss of income as a result of COVID 19 with 75% reporting a reduction in turnover of 30% or more. (Gov.uk (2021) Self-Employment Income Support Scheme statistics: November 2021)
"I am self-employed with a small business; I took the decision to stop working Saturday 21 March 2020 two days before our Government implemented a national lockdown. My partner is self-employed... He had to furlough himself to be able to continue paying the bills!"
Gateshead resident, Tyne & Wear Archives Lockdown Survey 2020, Accession. 5992