Self Employed Grant Scheme And Doing Paid Work

hrbooth20

I’m in the position of being self employed and having received a self employment grant. I do some work on a self employed basis for a charity and they’ve said that if I’ve received the government grant then I’ve been paid 80% of my income and they’ll just pay me 20% of what they normally do, even though I’m still working for them. I don’t think that’s correct or legal but I want to make sure my argument is watertight before I talk to them or report them for under paying me. 
Are they breaking any rules / laws? Are they allowed to ask if I claimed and adjust what they pay as a result? Is it an illegal deduction? 
What can I do? 
Can anyone direct me to details please? 

poppy12345

Doesn't seem right to me but you're self employed, if they don't agree to the price you quoted then don't do the work.

hrbooth20

It’s a long term contract, I work for them every week it just happens that in this line of work it’s self employed rather than salaried. I get the same amount of pay each week and do the same role. 
Nothing has changed except they now think they don’t need to pay me. 

poppy12345

When you claimed the SEISS grant had you been adversely affected?

hrbooth20

Yes. I’m a self employed musician so my income comes from a vast range of work. This is one part of it that was able to continue and so I believed I’d still be paid in full. 

poppy12345

Your SEISS grant has nothing to do with them. They should be paying you your usual amount and not the 20% top up.

jimkelly

They should be paying you the full amount, you're not on furlough with them.

Call their bluff, refuse to do the work and good luck to them finding someone who's willing to do the work for 20% of the going rate.

Jeremy535897

Who sets the figure that is 100% of the amount you are paid, you or the charity? Are they a significant part of your business? Have you lost lots of other work?

It is none of their business as to whether you receive SEISS. Nor should it be. Would they happily pay you 100% if you had kept all your other work, but didn't qualify for SEISS because you had a large amount of other income? Apparently they would, which is ridiculous.

hrbooth20

I run their choir one day a week. I get paid a set amount a year to be Musical Director which is laid out in my contract. 

I received the allowance as the vast majority of my teaching work has stopped as the college where I teach is closed. 

[Deleted User]

The SEISS grant means nothing to them, they should really be paying 100% of contract. Is the charity struggling financially (which would explain a cut in pay), or is it functioning as normal?

hrbooth20

It’s functioning as normal and has no financial problems. I’m doing the same role by Zoom instead of in person. No discussion to my contract had been discussed and I feel pressured as they keep telling me that the government has paid me so they don’t have to. 
Mid I was employed then I think it would be an illegal deduction of wages but I’m unsure if there’s a similar law for self employed contracts?