To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claimants of universal credit are classified as gainfully self-employed.
Answered on
24 January 2019
We plan to publish statistics on Universal Credit and self-employment, including claimant numbers, in Spring 2019. The Government’s commitment remains to helping self-employed claimants with viable businesses to thrive, while protecting public funds.
We provide tailored support to our claimants who are in self-employment through our work coaches to help them to increase their productivity and earnings. Work coaches can also sign-post claimants to the extensive business support which is already funded by the Government.
As we announced in the Autumn Budget 2018, we will be extending the 12-month start-up period where claimants are exempt from the Minimum Income Floor to all gainfully self-employed claimants who are new to Universal Credit. This start-up period will provide time for self-employed claimants to establish and grow their business, or to adjust to Universal Credit.
The Department has also extended mentoring support from New Enterprise Allowance mentors to Universal Credit claimants with earnings below their Minimum Income Floor, to help them to develop a plan to grow their earnings.