Those over pension age who continued to carry out self-employed work may be put at risk of severe financial harm or bankruptcy due to the denial of financial support through the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS), Dundee West MP Chris Law has warned, following contact from constituents affected.
Those who are self-employed but whose income from this work makes up less than 50% of their annual earnings are disqualified from applying for the SEISS.
In a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP, Mr Law raised the case of constituents who earn a modest income through self-employment despite qualifying for and receiving a state pension. Many of these constituents supplement their pension so they can live comfortably and continue to pay existing financial obligations, such as mortgages or loans.
Mr Law then called upon the UK Government to look at reviewing its current eligibility to ensure that those currently denied could access support, ensuring that no one was put at serious financial harm.
Mr Law said:
“I am aware of constituents who continued to work after reaching pension age either because they still had debts or loans to repay, or because they wanted to live a more comfortable life.
“We already know that the British state pension is one of the worst in Western Europe, so I am not surprised that there are many constituents who took the decision to supplement their state pension by carrying out modest work.
“My constituents were comfortably able to pay their outstanding debts whilst they were able to work, but because they have now been denied access to support by the UK Government they have been put at serious risk.
“I urge the UK Government to review the existing accessibility to these Support Schemes and ensure that my constituents are not left behind.”
Chris Law 