AQW 5988/17-22

Mr Andrew Muir
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 28/07/2020
Answered On Date: 10/08/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether she will establish a hardship fund for the newly self-employed.

Answer:

I and my Executive colleagues are aware of the difficulties faced by those who are recently self-employed who have not been able to receive financial support via the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS). This is affecting many individuals across the United Kingdom. Equally, many of these people in Northern Ireland would not have been eligible to receive a grant from any of the Business Support Schemes established by my Department or to benefit from the business rates relief.

There would be specific challenges in establishing a specific NI scheme for the newly self-employed as access to the national tax database would be required. Agreement would be required from HMRC to either provide data or to validate information.

The Department of Finance has contacted HM Treasury regarding a number of issues of the UK-wide schemes including widening the eligibility criteria of the SEISS. The Treasury responded that there are a number of operational reasons why the scheme is designed in this way and that it would not be possible in their view to broaden the eligibility criteria.

The Executive is also currently considering different measures available to support our economy and to promote our economic recovery. In considering further interventions, it will be for the Executive to collectively determine how funding can be allocated to support economic recovery moving forward.