Rishi Sunak asked how he ‘has the gall’ to ignore excluded workers cut off from SEISS

Rishi Sunak grilled by Lucas over lack of support for ‘excluded’

Rishi Sunak took questions in Parliament earlier this week and the Chancellor was queried on coronavirus, Universal Credit and the Government’s support measures. Carline Lucas stepped forward to push Rishi on his apparent lack of care and was urged to take urgent action to remedy SEISS problems.

Caroline was particularly scathing in her criticism: “The Chancellor said earlier that there’s unity of purpose across this house, and one area where it’s clear that is the unity with everybody except for him is that more support is needed for the excluded.

“It frankly beggars belief that he has yet again come to this house with nothing to announce for them.

“So I urge him to urgently look at the DISS scheme for directors of small limited companies, it’s been on his desk since November.

“There’s also the recently self employed still left out in the cold, freelancers, those who combine paye and self employment, women who’ve taken time out because of pregnancy, all still utterly abandoned.

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“I want to know how he has the gall to continue pretending that he’s doing enough for my constituents, and millions like them, who are still left in poverty and despair.”

The Chancellor stood firm in his response and detailed he would still be open to change in the coming months: “With regard to our support for the self employed it’s worth noting, not that you would know it from what the honourable lady said, that almost three million people have benefited from support to the tune of around £20billion.

“I do believe that’s comprehensive, it’s indeed certainly more comprehensive and generous support than almost any other country that I can find has provided.

“But of course we will always look at other suggestions we will receive, and I will continue to do that.”

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Caroline has been campaigning for changes on this for some time now and she recently highlighted the plight of many struggling industries and sole traders: “If Rishi Sunak could see some of the emails I receive from constituents, I don’t think he would have had the gall to say he was providing a bridge for people and businesses until the economy reopens, because for far too many, there was never a bridge – there isn’t even a lifejacket.

“I’ve heard from plumbers, small building firms, designers, photographers, technicians and more, all left destitute, burning through their savings (if they have any) to try and keep afloat.

“These are entrepreneurial self-starters who have been maligned and called tax avoiders for setting up company structures that were often required in order to secure contracts from their clients. They simply want parity with fellow tax-payers.

“I wrote to the Chancellor urging him to consider a proposal to specifically help them – the Directors Income Support Scheme (DISS).

“It would be no more onerous to implement than the SEISS nor more open to fraud, and it would be a lifeline to the directors of as many as two million small or micro-companies within its scope – and the 7.6 million reliant on them for employment.

“I raised the DISS scheme with the Chancellor during his statement and heard nothing back about why it has not been adopted.

“Just the usual self-congratulatory pat on the back about how many people are being supported by job support schemes.

“The fact that so many are benefitting does not absolve the Government of responsibility for the millions of others who are getting nothing. “

As it stands, SEISS will be providing grants capped at £7,500 to eligible claimants within the next few weeks as the third set of payments are rolled out.

To be eligible for these payments, a claimant must be a self-employed individual or a member of a partnership.

People will not be eligible for support if they trade through a limited company or trust and the Government has been heavily criticised for its restrictions.

Fourth sets of grants will become available in the coming months and the state will reveal more details on this “in due course”.

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