PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Directors (24 April 2020)

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the Government's self-employed income support scheme to director-owned small private companies where the directors of those companies cannot be furloughed due to ongoing business commitments.

Asked by:
David Mundell (Conservative)

Self-employed people who pay themselves a salary through their own company may be eligible for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The CJRS is available to employers, including personal service companies, and individuals paying themselves a salary through a PAYE scheme are eligible.

Employers can use a portal to claim for 80% of the usual monthly wage costs of furloughed employees (employees on a leave of absence) up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions for that wage.

This scheme supplements the other significant support announced for UK businesses, including the Bounce Back Loans Scheme for small businesses, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the deferral of tax payments. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support/

Answered by:
Jesse Norman (Conservative)
4 May 2020