>> This area has a high proportion of hospitality businesses and all the owners we've spoken
>> to have reported trade falling off a cliff and closure looming.
Another angle on that is self employed event caterers. I've spoken to several in last couple of days where previously good and remunerative work has just dried up. All bookings for April/May on just cancelled. Income gone off a cliff (and no doubt supplier bills still outstanding). Not clear whether the various interventions for small businesses that the Chancellor announced yesterday will help at one/two man (or woman) band level.
They are being directed towards benefits and in particular Universal Credit. There is though something in UC called the Minimum Income Floor. Originally intended to deter people in self employment which was marginal, unremunerative and in some cases a try on topping up from benefits it assumes an established self employed individual makes equivalent of 35hrs at Living Wage. Although it's been eased for those suffering from, or isolating because of, Covid there has not (yet) been any suggestion of it being relaxed for those people for whom work has just gone.
Not just catering, same will apply to many others in the 'gig' economy.
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