Self-employed people are being invited to start claiming government grants, which they could receive by the end of the month.
As of this Monday (4 May), HMRC has started contacting individuals who may be eligible for the self-employed income support scheme.
Those who are eligible can claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their average trading profits, up to a maximum of £2,500 a month.
This will initially cover three months, and will be paid in a single instalment of £7,500.
The notifications are being sent ahead of HMRC’s original schedule, in which self-employed people would have been contacted in mid-May.
The claims service is now set to open on 13 May, and those eligible should have the money paid into their bank account by 25 May or within six working days of completing a claim.
Andy Chamberlain, director of policy at the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed, said:
“It is excellent news that the government will tell people early if they are eligible for the self-employment income support scheme.
“This is unexpected and welcome given just how complex it is to implement a new initiative on this scale.
“We hope the government will also bring forward the payment date, to get money into these struggling self-employed businesses as soon as possible.”
We can assess your eligibility for self-employed income support.