Official statistics have shown that a further 89,000 claims were received for the second Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) grant in October.
The total number of claimants for the second SEISS grant, worth seventy per cent of average quarterly profits capped at £6,750, stood at 2.35 million at the end of October, up from 2.261 million at the end of September. The total value of all claims was £5,927 million, making the average grant amount around £2,500.
The claim window for the second SEISS grant closed on October 19. However, there will be two more grants made available to self-employed individuals, each covering a three-month period. On November 5, chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak announced that the third SEISS grant would be increased to eighty per cent of average profits over the whole three-month period, capped at £7,500. Previously, the third grant was meant to cover up to eighty per cent of average profits in only during the lockdown in November, falling to forty per cent of average profits in December and January, up to a maximum of £5,160.
The window for applications for the third SEISS grant opens next Monday, November 30, and closes on January 29. The eligibility criteria remain the same, so if you were not eligible for the first or second grants, you will remain ineligible for the third.
For more information on eligibility or how to claim the third SEISS grant, please see the official government website here.
27th November 2020.
