The Scottish Government has announced a £100 million fund to support the self-employed, which should help those childminders who have been unable to apply for financial support due to being new businesses and ineligible for benefits.
The Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund is only available to newly self-employed individuals who became self-employed after 6 April 2019 and are not eligible for other sources of funding (including Chancellor’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme) and do not receive benefits.
If you are newly self-employed and facing hardship, you may be eligible for a £2,000 grant through the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund, which opens today (30 April 2020) and is managed by local authorities.
Exclusions will apply if you:
- are ineligible for other COVID-19 related business support (including the Business Interruption Loan Schemes, Corporate Finance Fund, Job Retention Schemes, Future Fund, R&D Focussed SMEs Fund, HMRC Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, Non-Domestic Rates relief, Small Business Grant or other business support)
- do not receive working age benefit payments (Universal Credit, Statutory Sick Pay, Employment and Support Allowance, Job Seekers’ Allowance, Income Support) or have applied for but not yet started receiving Universal Credit
Graeme McAlister, Chief Executive of SCMA, said: "SCMA has continued to seek to influence financial support for childminders and we believe the Scottish Government has been listening.
"It was recognised that not all childminders would be eligible to access the Chancellor’s Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, particularly those within their first year of operation and who did not have a previous self-employed tax return and history on which to base a grant application.
“The Scottish Government’s Newly Self-Employed Hardship Scheme is a welcome addition for the self-employed and would appear to offer much-needed financial support for childminders who are ineligible for the Chancellor’s scheme and are not in receipt of benefits."
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