George Eustice, Member of Parliament for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle has today welcomed new statistics recently released, that show the huge government support for self-employed workers in Cornwall.
22,400 people in the county have accessed £55million worth of government grants via the second tranche of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS). These grants do not need to be paid back and will help to cover lost earnings as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Camborne, Redruth and Hayle received £7.6million in this round with the total value of claims made up to the end of July totalling £12million.
Self-employed people have had six months of income support during the coronavirus pandemic – one of the most generous schemes in the world:
- A first grant, covering up to 80% of average monthly profits, was made available for March to May
- A second grant, covering up to 70% of average monthly profits, was made available for June to August
Throughout the pandemic, the government has provided a huge and unprecedented package of economic support to protect lives and livelihoods, worth more than £160billion.
Meanwhile, new figures show that over 90,000 workers in the South West returned to their jobs part-time in the first month of the flexible furlough scheme. The scheme, introduced on 1 July, gives businesses the flexibility to bring employees back part-time, with the government paying 80% of their wages for the hours not worked.
Since the start of the pandemic, the furlough scheme has protected 808,900 jobs in the South West. By 31 July, 357,500 people were on furlough – 266,900 full-time and 90,600 part-time. It means 44% of those furloughed had returned to work full-time by the end of July.
George commented, "The past year has been an extremely difficult time for businesses and those who are self-employed workers in our local economies. Many of these businesses are integral to the fabric of our local communities, especially across Cornwall where there is a strong local community.
"The support detailed above demonstrates the scale of the support that the Government has put in place to support people's livelihoods, helping them to get back onto their feet during these difficult times. I would continue to urge everyone to Think Local, Shop Local to help these vital local businesses."
