FEU seeks meeting with Chancellor to find solutions for creative industries workers

Unions representing more than 120,000 people working in the creative industries are writing to the Chancellor highlighting solutions to stop people falling through the gaps of income support schemes.

Bectu, Equity, the NUJ, the Musicians’ Union and the Writers Guild of Great Britain collectively form the Federation of Entertainment Unions and have proposed seven solutions to the Chancellor. The group want discussions with Rishi Sunak as soon as possible.

Seven solutions

The solutions include:

1. Parents & Carers: Adapt the SEISS to incorporate a declaration for those with gaps in income to exclude those years of self-assessments to account for maternity/parental/caring responsibilities.
2. Those who fall below the 50% of self-employed income threshold to qualify for SEISS: Enable HMRC to assess all income, PAYE and turnover through self-employment to give a more accurate picture of earnings.
3. New graduates/new entrants into the industry: Allow new entrants to complete a tax return now to HMRC for the period that they have been working in 2019-20 or assess them as having an assumed income to enable receipt of the capped 80% monthly amount of £2500.
4. Limited Companies/Personal Service Companies: Allow dividends to be included in the SEISS alongside furloughing for the PAYE element of income through the CJRS.
5. Income and expenses fluctuations: Remove the £50,000 cap to provide parity with PAYE workers and assess turnover rather than profits.
6. Deaf and other disabled workers: Provide clarity that SEISS payments will not compromise the receipt of other welfare payments.
7. PAYE workers: Create a new Freelance Worker Income Support Scheme using the PAYE data they have to calculate average earnings for people who declare as ‘PAYE freelancers’ and compensate them at the 80% rate directly without going through an employer’s payroll system.

Key to economic recovery

The letter highlights the role of the UK creative industries in any economic recovery. “You will be aware that the creative industries are one of the UK’s greatest strengths.

“Our industries have the potential not just to grow further and to revive our economy when the crisis has passed; they can also contribute positively to the regeneration of large parts of the UK and help to deliver the Government’s ‘levelling up’ ambition,” the letter says.

Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “Since the government’s financial measures to protect incomes were announced Bectu has continued to highlight the gaps wherever it can. We have achieved some changes to the Job Retention Scheme but there is still much more to do. The government cannot leave the people in these industries to flounder any longer.”