IPSE praises NEA as “vital tool” for the self-employed
IPSE (the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed) has welcomed a government announcement revealing the News Enterprise Allowance (NEA) has helped over 200 new businesses launch each week.
Praising the scheme as a “vital tool” for the self-employed – particularly disabled people – it also calls on the government to extend it and promote it better.
IPSE’s public affairs manager and author of ‘Making self-employment work for disabled people’, Jonathan Lima-Matthews, said: “The NEA is one of the most important tools in the armoury of a person starting out in self-employment. It is excellent to see so many people across the UK making use of it.
“Self-employment is a liberating choice for many groups who might not otherwise fit into the confines of a standard 9-5 office job – including disabled people and older workers. These figures show just how important the NEA is for these groups.
“Part of the problem with the NEA is not enough people know about it. The NEA offers essential support for disabled self-employed in particular, and yet for some time uptake figures have been relatively low. These figures show that this is starting to change, but the government should still do more to promote it.
“Although early support for the self-employed is extremely welcome, it would also greatly help freelancers to firmly establish their businesses if NEA benefits and mentoring were extended to two years. This would be a big step towards securing the future of our growing and dynamic flexible workforce.”