SEISS UK: Rishi Sunak to be taken to court this week over ‘insulting’ eligibility rules | Personal Finance | Finance


SEISS, or Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, grants can be claimed by self-employed workers who have seen their income affected by coronavirus but there are strict rules on eligibility. A person will not be able to claim a grant if they trade through a limited company or trust and on top of this, those who have had a new child may find their eligibility upended.

On this last point, the Chancellor will be forced to address certain difficulties this week.

The charity “Pregnant Then Screwed”, with support from Doughty Street Chambers and law firm Leigh Day, will be taking the Chancellor to high court this Thursday for discriminating against women in SEISS.

They argue the eligibility conditions and calculation method chosen by the Chancellor have a discriminatory effect on women as they do not exempt periods of maternity leave.

The number of women this affects is calculated to be around 69,200 and Pregnant Then Screwed will be asking Rishi to take immediate steps to change the SEISS so that time taken for maternity leave is discounted when average earnings are calculated.

READ MORE: Rishi Sunak asked how he ‘has the gall’ to ignore SEISS problems

“We’ve had heartbreaking messages from so many women. For some this drop in income has left them and their young family in desperate poverty; while their male colleagues are in receipt of the full benefit.

“But this isn’t just about the 75,000 vulnerable new mothers who have received a payment that is well below what they should have received.

“It is about the critical importance of maternity leave and ensuring that as a society we value it.

“Giving birth and caring for the next generation, particularly in a baby’s first year of life, is work; it is mentally and physically exhausting work.

“Not only that, but ensuring the next generation survives and thrives is surely the most important job there is.

“For maternity leave to be dismissed as the same as being sick or taking a sabbatical is not only insulting, but it sends out a very dangerous message about how this Government views mothers and the integral role we play in a well-functioning society. This court case is about defending women’s rights and showing the Government that they cannot ride roughshod over the Equality act.”

In speaking with Express.co.uk today, Joeli went on to highlight what changes the charity want to see moving forward: “We are asking the Chancellor to amend the Self Employed Income Support Scheme so that it doesn’t discriminate against women.

“This could be done by exempting periods of maternity leave when calculating the grant and offering a rebate to those who have already been financially penalised.”

Currently, third sets of grants can be applied for up until January 29, with the money awarded covering 80 percent of average monthly trading profits, capped at £7,500 in total.

To make a claim for the third grant, a business must have had a new or continuing impact from coronavirus between November 1 2020 and January 29 2021, with the claimants reasonably believing there will be a significant reduction in profits.

Claimants must also have traded throughout the 2018 to 2020 tax years.

Declarations must also be made that the claimant intends to continue to trade in the future.

Fourth grants will become available in the coming months, with the details set to be unveiled soon.

Do you have a money dilemma which you’d like a financial expert’s opinion on? If you would like to ask one of our finance experts a question, please email your query to personal.finance@reachplc.com. 



Source link