If you are self-employed or a member of a partnership and have lost income due to coronavirus, you might be able to claim a grant through the COVID-19 Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.

Full details about what it is and how to check whether you may be eligible can be found here.

Do you move between fixed term contracts? If so, you may be eligible to be furloughed under the Government’s COVID-19 Job Retention Scheme. 

Find out more here. 
 

Please note: applications for this Fund are currently closed.

The Film and TV Charity’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, developed in partnership with the BFI, is for those film, TV and cinema workers in most need, who fall outside the Government’s support. Individuals can apply for amounts from £500 to £2,500. 

Find out more here.
 

The Film and TV Charity recognises the significant mental health pressures arising as a result of COVID-19 and, in line with the charity 's existing Whole Picture Programme for better mental health, have developed new advice specifically tailored to our industry on how to stay mentally well at home and creating a new supportive community forum for freelancers. 

The Film and TV Charity already provides 24/7 mental health support to the industry, including counselling and legal advice, via the Film and TV Support Line on 0800 054 00 00. Find out other ways to access this support here.
 

As an individual you may also be able to access specific support in your area. Please see our COVID-19 Nations and Regions support page for more information.

HMRC is running a series of webinars to help people learn more about the Government’s Coronavirus support schemes.

Topics include:

- Running your business through the coronavirus pandemic
- Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- Self-Employment Income Support Scheme

Webinars are recorded and can be viewed here.
You can also register for upcoming sessions on the same page.

Screen sector skills body, ScreenSkills is providing a free package of remote and interactive training, online talks and masterclasses with industry leaders to support the industry workforce in up-skilling and staying connected during these difficult times.

A list of upcoming sessions and details of how to register can be found here.

The Government has suspended the minimum income floor in Universal Credit for those affected by the impact of COVID-19. This allows freelancers to access a rate equivalent to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) for employees of around £95 per week.

You can apply online here.
 

The Government announced in the Budget on 11th March that it would provide local authorities in England with £500 million of new grant funding to support economically vulnerable people and households in their local area.

More information can be found here.

Homeowners and landlords can now apply for a three-month mortgage payment holiday by contacting their lender. The Government’s new policy aims to ease the stresses facing borrowers during the coronavirus outbreak.

Find out more here.

Towards the end of March the government announced it would be relaxing its rules on carrying over annual leave in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Currently, almost all workers are entitled to 28 days holiday including bank holidays each year. However, most of this entitlement cannot be carried between leave years, meaning workers lose their holiday if they do not take it.

There is also an obligation on employers to ensure their workers take their statutory entitlement in any one year – failure to do so could result in a financial penalty.

The announced changes, which amend the Working Time Regulations, allow up to four weeks of unused leave to be carried into the next two leave years, easing the requirements on business to ensure that workers take statutory amount of annual leave in any one year.

This law applies for any holiday the employee or worker does not take because of coronavirus, for example if:

- they’re self-isolating or too sick to take holiday before the end of their leave year

- they’ve had to continue working and could not take paid holiday

Although primarily put in place to help key workers within the economy, all businesses are able to take advantage of this change.

More information can be found here.

The ACAS website also has a very helpful section on holiday pay here, which the Government is itself directing people to.