Trade bodies present £15bn plan
A group of more than 30 trade bodies, including Bectu, ScreenSkills and Directors UK, have submitted a letter to the chancellor with a £15bn income plan to help freelancers during the coronavirus crisis.
The letter, overseen by the Creative Industries Federation chief executive Caroline Norbury, highlighted the “worrying inequality” being created between the employed and the UK’s community of 5 million self-employed workers and freelancers.
In the government’s “unprecedented economic package”, outlined on Friday, chancellor Rishi Sunak said all businesses could receive 80% of wages for employees that cannot work due to the pandemic, but a similar measure is not in place for the self-employed.
Instead, the self-employed are being given access to Universal Credit, but this takes five weeks to kick in and is only around £92 per week.
The 30 trade bodies are therefore pushing for the creation of a £15bn Temporary Income Protection Fund, which would provide all self-employed workers with a monthly income matching their average earnings over the past three years. The payments would be capped at average UK earnings with a minimum monthly income of the real living wage.
”Our self-employed workforce are a source of incredible creativity, agility, and innovation,” said today’s letter.
“It is vital that they receive support equal to employees and collectively explore, given this difficult time, how such talent could be employed and redeployed to help the national effort.”
Bectu’s survey last week found that almost half of the UK’s creative sector freelancers have already lost money due to the coronavirus crisis, with some predicting losses of up to £40,000 over the coming months.
This article first appeared on our sister site, Broadcast.
Also on The Knowledge
C4 appoints news chief
Louisa Compton has been appointed head of news and current affairs at Channel 4, replacing Dorothy Byrne.
PSBs’ plea for freelancer support
The UK’s public service broadcasters have joined forces to ask the government to work with them to support industry freelancers affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.
Channel 4 recommissions 60 Days format
Channel 4 has commissioned 60 Days with the Gypsies with ex-soldier and explorer Ed Stafford.
Filming begins on Stephen Merchant drama
Filming is underway on writer/director Stephen Merchant’s The Offenders, for Amazon Prime and BBC One.
Surveillance thriller greenlit for ITV
ITV has commissioned Viewpoint, a five-part thriller from writer Ed Whitmore and Tiger Aspect Productions.
UKTV orders second helping of Sliced
UKTV has ordered another series of Sliced for its comedy channel Dave.
