Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Self-employed “excluded from online Covid19 support service”
Newry Sinn Féin MP Mickey Brady has said many self-employed people from the north are being excluded from an online service to avail of COVID-19 support.
Speaking to Newry Times, the Newry and Armagh MP said, “Many people who are self-employed are struggling as a result of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and are unsure about what support they are entitled to.
“HMRC has launched an online tool for the self-employed to check if they are eligible for the income support scheme but many in the north cannot access it.
“The online service requires people to have a British passport or a British driving licence, not a northern one, as a form of ID.
“Many people in the north do not hold either so this site is not fit for purpose.
“Effectively it is excluding many self-employed people from the north from accessing a service which is needed at this difficult time.
“I am calling on HMRC and the British Chancellor to amend the current application process to ensure self-employed people from the north can access this online service as a matter of urgency,” he added.
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