Stone sets up cross-party group to help those excluded from Covid-19 support
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Jamie Stone has set up an all-party parliamentary group with non-governmental organisation ExcludedUK to support the estimated three million people who have been excluded from UK government Covid-19 schemes.
He says he has heard "countless heartbreaking stories" from people in the Highlands and across the UK who have been excluded from support for "completely arbitrary" reasons.
People and businesses excluded from support schemes include:
- Newly self-employed
- Self-employed with +£50k trading profits
- Less than 50 per cent income through self-employment
- PAYE freelancers
- New starters
- Those denied furlough
- Directors filing PAYE annually
- Directors paid in dividends
- Directors of companies not in profit
- New businesses
- Low-investment start-ups
- Those ineligible for business grants
- Those ineligible due to circumstances such as parental leave or pension payments
Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, pointed out that many of the people excluded from government schemes in the north are self-employed hairdressers, cab drivers or creative freelancers.
After setting up the group, known as an APPG, Mr Stone said: “I have heard countless heartbreaking stories from fellow Highlanders and people from across the rest of the UK who have been excluded from government support for completely arbitrary reasons.
"It is a disgrace that so many have been left ineligible for every kind of support, even Universal Credit.
"I was the first MP to bring this issue to the House of Commons with a parliamentary motion in April. I raised the issue again in a debate just last week when it became clear that there is cross-party support among MPs to force a government U-turn.
"I have set up this APPG with the support of ExcludedUK to co-ordinate our efforts to fight for justice, and get the change these people so desperately need."
ExcludedUK co-founder Sonali Joshi said: “Three million taxpayers have been excluded from any meaningful UK government Covid-19 financial measures for over three months through no fault of their own.
"ExcludedUK is a grassroots NGO, serving as a collective platform for those entirely or largely excluded from government support, across all different employment statuses, professions and industries.
"We are delighted to have the support of Jamie Stone in setting up this APPG, along with support from other MPs from across the political spectrum. We hope that through this group we will be able to give a stronger voice to those who have been excluded and to our urgent call for the government to provide the financial support that the three million have been denied.”
