COVID 19 Self Employment Scheme Update

As you know, the Self Employment Income Support Scheme was launched in March to help self-employed businesses and freelancers. The scheme was designed to support self-employed businesses during the Coronavirus pandemic, especially those that have not been able to trade during this period.

The grant, which does not need to be paid back, is calculated as 80% of monthly profit, averaged out over a period of up to three years and capped at £7,500.  The money is paid out in a single instalment covering three months.

Many businesses have now been contacted by HMRC and have made a claim.  We wanted to write this update to make sure that you have applied as some businesses are falling through the loophole because of the way HMRC is contacting people.

Check if you are eligible to claim

We had assumed that HMRC would be writing to all the businesses, but it appears that they have been in contact via email, which is quite unusual for them. If you have not received an email or you are worried about clicking on any links on an email, then you can check whether you are eligible to claim via this link – Check if you are eligible to claim a grant

To check eligibility, you need your Unique taxpayer Reference (UTR) number. This is usually a 10-digit number and your National Insurance number.

How to apply for the grant

The scheme opened on 13 May 2020 for claims. So, if you are eligible, you should be able to go through yourself and make a claim. The link is – Claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

You must make this claim yourself, although you can ask your accountant or tax agent to help you. Do not give your details to anyone else to claim on your behalf.

You will need:

• the bank account number and sort code we should pay your grant into, this can be your personal account or business account.
• Your Government Gateway user ID and password – if you don't have an ID or password, or have forgotten your details, you need to set these up by searching GOV‌.UK for 'Self-Employment Income Support Scheme'.

Once you have made a claim, the grant should be put directly into your bank account within six days.

Currently, we are being told that the grant is only available for three months.  However, the government have extended the furloughed scheme, and the Chancellor is being asked to extend the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme as well. If this happens, we will let you know.

If you need any advice about this grant, then please do contact us by calling 01623 490 120 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..