Delayed furlough support left a lot to be desired, say readers

SELF-EMPLOYED workers across Portsmouth and the wider area have been left to fend for themselves in the government’s new budget, according to readers.

Following the announcement of the budget by Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, readers of The News have had their say on the direction being taken by those in Westminster.

Specifically, the lack of any immediate measures to support those who are selfemployed drew fierce criticism.

A fourth grant will cover 80 per cent of three months’ of their average earnings, capped at £7,500, but for many self-employed locals this doesn’t go far enough.

Neil Hood said: ‘It’s screwed the self employed. The last payment was December – now we have to wait until the end of April for more help. How on earth does anyone think selfemployed can cope.’

Gary Renouf said: ‘I’m self-employed and shielding so my earnings are zero. 80 per cent of zero is nothing.’

Lou Earp added: ‘There are still three million people excluded from any meaningful support from the start of the pandemic.’

‘So self-employed people have to wait over three months to get a penny whilst furlough gets paid monthly,’ said Adam Richard.

‘Who can actually make it to three and a bit months with no money coming in?’

Additional measures implemented by the government include the £20 perweek top-up of universal credit being extended for six months, an extra £1.65bn to get all adults vaccinated by the end of July, and alcohol duties frozen for another year.

The stamp duty holiday has also been extended until the end of September, to support first-time buyers

But many are still disatisfied with what was announced.

Sam Barnard said: ‘So I've been working all though this, no extra pay just making us pay more tax, cheers for that.’

Karen Measures said: ‘Something for everyone – apart from the ones that have been working.’

Martin Hoare added: ‘Still no help for those who have been made redundant due to Covid-19 though, especially those with mortgages.

‘I have lost two jobs so far in the last seven months, one of those companies I was working with for 19 years.’

Claire Louise suggested that the United Kingdom could adopt some of the policies implemented by other countries, to deliver a more satisfactory budget.

She said: ‘How about our government take a leaf out of New Zealand’s book – MPs and prime minister take a minimum of a 20 per cent pay-cut and either put those monies into the economy or the NHS.’

On the subject of fuel duty being frozen – part of a decade-long trend – Steven Wood commented that it might not be having the desired effect for motorists.

‘Petrol has already gone up in the last three weeks prior to the budget ,’ he said.