AQW 15383/17-22

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 25/02/2021
Answered On Date: 14/04/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy whether she will provide financial support to self-employed people in Northern Ireland that have been excluded from the UK Self Employed Income Support Scheme due to the 50 per cent earnings rule.

Answer:

The Executive and the UK Government have introduced a wide range of business support schemes to help ease the extraordinary burden that has been placed on entire communities and our local economy, due to the ongoing global pandemic.

To date, my Department has provided over £400 million of lifeline support to over 30,000 businesses and individuals, and is currently delivering millions of pounds to thousands more. These included the Newly Self-Employed Support Scheme, Limited Company Director’s Business Support Scheme and the Covid Restrictions Business Support Scheme, all of which were primarily targeted at self-employed people throughout Northern Ireland.

The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is administered by HMRC on behalf of the UK Government. Whilst the NI Executive has made representations to the UK Government regarding the eligibility criteria, unfortunately, it has been unable to affect any significant change as to how the scheme is administered.

Moving forward, my focus will be on the re-opening the economy. I firmly believe that the best way to support all of our local businesses, employers and high streets, is to make a full and safe return to working and trading as soon as possible, in line with the health regulations and the published roadmap ‘Moving Forward: The Executive's Pathway Out of Restrictions’.

It will be for the Executive collectively to determine how any new or additional Covid-related funding for the 2021/22 financial year will be allocated as we move out of restrictions, and towards a sustained and successful economic recovery.