Brian Whittle MSP has welcomed the success of the UK Government’s schemes to protect jobs and support the self-employed during the pandemic.
It comes after HMRC published figures showing that over 628,000 people across Scotland have had their wages protected by the UK Government’s furlough scheme, with another 146,000 self-employed workers also receiving support.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, commonly known as the furlough scheme, has protected almost 40,000 jobs across Ayrshire, providing cash to employers to cover the cost of up to 80% of someone’s salary up to £2500 per month for staff who cannot work but are kept on payroll. A similar scheme is available for the self-employed, providing a grant of 80% of their average monthly profits up to a figure of £2500 per month. In Ayrshire, just under 10,000 self-employed people have received support worth over £27 million through this scheme.
Alongside these schemes, the UK Government has also created a bounce back loan scheme for businesses, VAT deferrals and additional universal credit support. The Scottish Government has also received around £3.8 billion of extra funding from the UK through the Barnett formula.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge to our economy. The support schemes delivered by the UK Government have helped to protect thousands of jobs in Ayrshire and give businesses a fighting chance to recover as lockdown eases.
For all the talk of different approaches across the UK, all four nations have actually followed a very similar path. Our shared economic strength has allowed the Chancellor to deliver this enormous package of support to individuals, businesses and third sector organisations. That same strength will be vital as we emerge from lockdown and come to terms with the scale of the challenges facing our economy.
The UK Government’s interventions have softened the blow of the pandemic, but the road to economic recovery won’t be easy. Like many other parts of Scotland, Ayrshire’s economy faces challenges. I know Ayrshire is home to many businesses and ambitious entrepreneurs who are up for the challenge and I’m determined to do everything I can to help them grow and succeed.”