Self-employed businesses in the Harrogate district have expressed fears for their future ahead of a second national lockdown.
Two local business owners told the Stray Ferret they had just started to see work return after the first lockdown only to be told that the country will shutdown again on Thursday.
Hannah Ruddy, whose business Musicality Kids provides music classes for children in Harrogate, said she spent £1,500 on making her classes covid-secure only to now see her work cancelled.
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Ms Ruddy added she and many other self-employed people had received no support since the start of the pandemic.
She was among those who were denied a discretionary grant of up to £10,000 in September because she did not have business premises.
Now she is concerned about the impact of another lockdown:
“I’m worried because I do not know where the money is going to come from and if I’m going to have to borrow again.
“I’m concerned about the communication and clarity about how long this is going to go on for.
“But, most of all, I’m angry at the lack of support for a large proportion of the self employed.”
‘No idea if we will survive’
Jennie Eyres, who runs a teacher training business in Ripon, has also received no financial support.
Besides her teaching business, Ms Eyres also runs a magazine that publicises activities for children.
Although she has had some work from schools, her businesses face uncertainty as lockdown looms.
She said:
“I still do not get any support and one business is severely hampered because the companies I work with are in the leisure and entertainment industries.”
Ms Eyres said it was the worry of “not knowing from one week to next” where work was going to come from which affected her the most.
She added she was fortunate her savings and her husband’s income had enabled her family to stay afloat during the pandemic.
When asked if she felt her businesses could survive a four-week lockdown, Jenny said:
“If it does go down, then we will have to tighten our belts and do something else. But I do not know, I literally have no idea.”
Furlough extension
The government announced an extension to the furlough scheme as part of the Prime Minister’s announcement on Saturday evening.
It will see the scheme extended to December and pay 80% of employee salaries up to £2,500 a month.
Yesterday, Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that the self-employed would be able to claim state aid of up to 80% of profits during the second lockdown.
