ExcludedUK's open letter to the Chancellor ahead of the budget

AHEAD of the Budget, on 3 March 2021, grassroots organisation ExcludedUK, which has been lobbying for support for those individuals and businesses across the UK shut out of meaningful support through the furlough and SEISS schemes through no fault of their own, have sent an open letter to the Chancellor in a final bold statement before Wednesday, stressing the ever increasing hardship and uncertain futures faced by some 3 million UK taxpayers and their households.

ExcludedUK urges the Chancellor to recognise the economic impact on those affected in the upcoming Budget, as we approach 1 year since the onset of the Pandemic and little to no support for some 3 million UK taxpayers, many of whom have been plunged into debt and poverty.

Ample time has passed for the issues to be rectified. A variety of non-complex proposals have been put forward to the Treasury, while the overriding call from those affected is for parity. With one year of decimated livelihoods and businesses, not helping those affected will leave a personal debt crisis that will hang over so many for years to come, while equally being at odds with the wider economic recovery.

The open letter reads as follows:- "Dear Chancellor, We are writing to you from ExcludedUK with collective support from a wide range of organisations and many individuals with regard to gaps in the Government Covid19 support schemes affecting some 3 million UK taxpayers.

While many have received vital support since the onset of the Pandemic, so many others have been left behind. The 3 million figure, now so often referred to, comes from HMRC data and BEIS Business Population Estimates and has been confirmed by figures released by the National Audit Office. It is not just the 1.5 million self employed that you have previously referred to. Standard Life Foundation’s latest survey estimated that as many as 3.8 million are in fact affected.

The impacts are far-reaching and only set to become more acute, with ever increasing financial hardship as each month passes and spiralling debt that has already devastated people’s livelihoods and businesses and will continue to do so for years to come without the support so vitally needed. These impacts equally extend to households; children and families, and for small business owners, their employees, freelancers and contractors too if their own businesses are in peril.

This is a substantial section of the workforce and they need support to get through this crisis; people who were furthering their careers by starting a new job, those in between jobs, those who for whatever reason were denied furlough, those who took the plunge to set up a new business, those with entrepreneurial spirit serving their communities and beyond, freelancers, those combining PAYE and self employment, those whose maternity or parental leave fell at a certain time, people excluded due to pensions, bereavement payments, carer’s allowance, redundancy, shielding and more.

These are people who are the lifeblood of our economy and communities, many who have been taxpayers for years and not previously had to rely on the State, and businesses that are viable. Moreover, people are facing this crisis amid so much uncertainty that still lies ahead, particularly for those in the hardest hit sectors.

Various proposals have been presented to the Treasury that are not complex and that do guard against fraud. We urge you to consider these and include measures in the upcoming Budget that will provide the much needed financial support for those who find themselves outside of the scope of the eligibility criteria of the existing schemes. Not helping these people is equally at odds with economic recovery.

Providing this support now is the right and fair thing to do.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Sonali Joshi - Co-Founder, ExcludedUK; Founder and Director, Day for Night Film and Visual Arts Ltd
Aron Padley - Co-Founder, ExcludedUK
Rachel Flower - Co-Founder and Spokesperson, ExcludedUK
Jennifer Griffiths - HR, Admin and Member Welfare Manager, ExcludedUK
Alan Brown MP
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Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester
Angus MacNeil MP
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Barbara Keely MP
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Dan Jarvis MP and Mayor of the Sheffield City Region
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Dr Lisa Cameron MP
Margaret Ferrier MP
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Nicholas Trent, Earl of Clancarty
Olivia Blake MP
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Richard Thomson MP
Rosie Cooper MP
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Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
Sarah Champion MP
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Siobhain McDonagh MP
Stella Creasy MP
Stephen Farry MP
Steven Bonnar MP
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region
Stewart Hosie MP
Stewart McDonald MP
Tim Farron MP
Tommy Sheppard MP
Tonia Antoniazzi MP
Tracy Brabin MP
Wera Hobhouse MP
Zarah Sultana MP
Alex Hall - Chair, Live Comedy Association
Alice Britton - Co-Founder, Denied Furlough Group
Andy Harrower - Chief Executive, Directors UK
Association of Independent Professionals and the self employed (IPSE)
Bill Bankes-Jones - Freelancers Make Theatre Work
Caroline Norbury - Chief Executive, Creative Industries Federation
Chrissy Kinsella - Chief Executive, London Music Fund
Christina Lister and Marge Ainsley - Co-directors, Museum Freelance
Deborah Annetts - Chief Executive, Incorporated Society of Musicians
Ella Taylor - Freelance Classical Soprano, Freelancers Make Theatre Work
Ellie Peers - General Secretary, Writers’ Guild of Great Britain
Dr Fiona Whitehurst - Senior Lecturer, Newcastle University Business School
Professor Francis Greene - Head of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, Edinburgh University Business School, University of Edinburgh
Gary White, We Make Events
Gina Miller - Co-Founder of SCM Direct and The True and Fair Campaign
Dr Holly Patrick - Lecturer, Edinburgh Napier University
Horace Trubridge - General Secretary, Musicians’ Union
James Vanderzee - Co-Founder, Academy for Women Entrepreneurs; Director, Vie Digital Ltd; Director, Scrummy Club Loyalty
Jo Taylor-Hitchinson - Co-Founder, Dial F for Freelancer
Joeli Brearley - CEO and Founder, Pregnant Then Screwed
John Caudwell - Business Leader, Philanthropist and Founder of Phones4U
Prof Julia Rouse - Women’s Enterprise Policy Group and Sylvia Pankhurst Gender and Diversity Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University
Liz Bayram - CEO, Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years
Liz Tucker - Chair, Women in Film and TV
Martin Lewis - Founder, MoneySavingExpert.com
Miatta Fahnbulleh - Chief Executive, New Economics Foundation
Michelle Stanistreet - General Secretary, National Union of Journalists
Mike Buckley - Director, Campaign Central Ltd
Mike Clancy - General Secretary, Prospect
Mubin Haq - Chief Executive Officer, Standard Life Foundation
Nicola Cromwell - Co-Founder, Denied Furlough Group
Paul W Fleming - General Secretary, Equity
Paul Lancaster - Founder and Director, Newcastle Startup Week
Paule Constable - Freelancers Make Theatre Work
Philippa Childs - Head of Bectu
Ros Bragg - Director, Maternity Action
Roy Rickhuss - General Secretary, Community
Ruth Talbot, Single Parent Rights
Sacha Lord - Night-Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester, Co-Founder Parklife, Co-Founder The Warehouse Project
Professor Sharon Collard, on behalf of the Personal Finance Research Centre, University of Bristol
Steffan Donnelly - Wales Freelance Taskforce and Freelancers Make Theatre Work
Steve McNamara - General Secretary, Licensed Taxi Drivers Association on behalf of excluded black cab drivers
Toki Allison - Co-Founder, Dial F for Freelancer; BFI Film Audience Network Access Officer
Tony Robinson OBE - The Micro Business Champion, #MicroBizMatters Day and Chair Yorkshire in Business
Trevor MacFarlane FRSA - Culture Commons"

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THE NHS Trust, Cheshire and Wirral Partnership (CWP), has teamed up with 2 organisations to provide wellbeing support to key workers across Cheshire and Wirral.  Due to the ongoing Covid19 Pandemic, it is vitally important that the mental health needs of health and care workers, as well as other key worker such as:- Teachers, Paramedics and Police Officers are provided for. With this in mind, CWP, along with Healthbox CIC and Insight IAPT, are launching a series of initiatives for key workers to use for support.

Dr Anushta Sivananthan, Medical Director for CWP, said:- "Key workers have been hugely important during the Covid19 Pandemic. Ensuring they have access to resources that will enable them to look after their mental wellbeing during this challenging time is incredibly important. We are delighted to be working with Healthbox and Insight to provide this vital support to key workers across our footprint. This new service will be in addition to the local resilience hub."

The service will have three main offers, an emotional support line, available from 8am to 10pm, 7 days a week, additional counselling services and services to key workers in acute care settings.  Simon Sandford, Director of Healthbox CIC, said:- "In light of the current situation, we know that there is a growing concern for the public’s mental health and thus, our mental health services have never been needed as much as they are right now. As a nation, we have witnessed how incredibly important our key workers are, but in order to maintain their levels of mental health and wellbeing we know that they are in increasing need of support. That’s why we’ve set up a new service across the borough, to offer 1 to 1 therapy, delivered by our BACP qualified Counsellors. Our aim is to start delivering this service to NHS key workers and then gradually expand and open up to other key worker groups, including:- Care Worker staff, Social Care, Social Workers, Paramedics, Teachers and more."

If you or anyone you know would benefit from this service, simply text support to:- '66777' or email:- Key.Worker@NHS.Net.

Lynsey Terry, Service Manager of Insight Wellbeing at Work said:- "We are proud to be partners of this essential service for our key workers, who have been on the frontline of this Pandemic; both physically and mentally. We are offering a confidential space for emotional support and access to talking therapies and wellbeing resources. Our free emotional support line is open 8.00am to 10.00pm daily. If you are a key worker, you can call us free on:- 0300 131 2074. You have been there for us, now we're here for you."

The development of these services is on a 6 month trial basis with regular reviews of activity and ensuring that the quality of the service is maintained. All 3 services will be provided to key workers in Cheshire and Wirral. 

Total UK cases Covid19 cases in and around Liverpool City Region