A cruel and punitive blow to the self-employed

From this week the Minimum Income Floor (MIF) for benefit claimants, scrapped at the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, has been reinstated. This will see at least 200,000 self-employed low income workers face a reduction to their Universal Credit payments.

Kate Dearden, Head of Research, Policy and External Relations at Community, says:

“The reinstating of the Minimum Income Floor for Universal Credit is cruel and punitive.

37% of Universal Credit recipients are in employment – it is an in work benefit. This change will be particularly harmful to the U.K’s millions of self-employed workers, many of whom have already had the toughest of years being excluded from government support schemes and losing the majority of their income.

The self-employed are workers too, and are the hidden backbone of the British economy. They make up roughly 15% of our workforce and being pivotal to the UK’s fastest growing and innovative industries such as in science, engineering, healthcare, the arts, entertainment, the media and in the delivery of other important services across the country.

The government must be on the side of our self-employed. They must keep the suspension of the Minimum Income Floor, as well as reversing the proposed cuts to Universal Credit”

If you are a member of Community and need help or advice, please contact us at help@community-tu.org or on 0800 389 6332.