Second phase of self-employed Covid-19 grants opens to applications

A second phase of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grants to support self-employed individuals whose incomes have been hit by the Covid-19 pandemic with grants has now opened to applications.

Applicants will be able to claim a payment of 70% of their average monthly profits for the three months until October, paid as a single grant up to a total of £6750.

In the first phase of the scheme, covering the three months up to July, SEISS grants have been paid to 2.7 million self-employed people, totalling £7.8 billion. The payment covering income from August to October will be the final grant available in the scheme.

Eligibility for the second phase of the scheme is the same as for the earlier payments, with applicants having earned total profits of no more than £50,000. Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:

Our self employment income support scheme has already helped millions of hard working people, whose get up and go drive is crucial to our economy.

It means that people’s livelihoods across the country will remain protected as we continue our economic recovery – helping them get back on their feet as we return to normal.

HMRC will contact all potentially eligible customers to advise them that they can claim for a second and final SEISS grant. Self-employed individuals who were eligible, but did not apply for the first phase may still apply for the second grant.

Applications to the scheme must be made by 19th October 2020, and it must be able to be demonstrated that the business has been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic on or after 14 July 2020.

Further guidance on how the grant works can be found here.