Self-employed in the UK to get 80% of monthly profits paid by the government

CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak has announced that self-employed people will be able to claim a grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits which can be up to £2,500 a month.

Rishi Sunak said the measures would be in place for at least three months and amounted to “one of the most generous packages in the world.”

Prior to Thursday’s news conference, the government has been undergoing pressure to support the self-employed with a similar package of measures as introduced for employed workers.

Last week, the Chancellor promised to pay 80 per cent of salaries for staff employees who were kept on by their employer, covering wages of up to £2,500 a month.

Mr Sunak has previously admitted the government “will not be able to protect every single job or save every single business” amid the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Johnson announced earlier on Thursday that a further £210 million in funding for international efforts to find a coronavirus vaccine.