Self Employment Grant - back payment?

NatS15

I have claimed 3 self-employed grants, but due to the pitiful amount I received after only having 1 tax return to be considered, I found a job and started mid-march and will receive my first payment at the end of April. Can I claim the fourth grant which is supposedly a back payment to cover Feb-April as I won't have received any money during that time? Why do you have to declare that you intend to continue to trade if it's a back payment?

Jeremy535897

When you make the claim.

poppy12345

NatS15 said:

Why do you have to declare that you intend to continue to trade if it's a back payment?

Because it's part of the criteria. If you're not planning on trading in 20/21 then you won't be entitled to it.

Jeremy535897

I read it as "when do you have to declare...". It would be illogical to provide a grant to help your business if that business had already ceased when the claim was made.

NatS15

so people have to suffer for 3 months and the government will wait to see if anyone gets a job so they can get away with not paying

68ComebackSpecial

The rationale behind the delay is to bring the tax year 2019/2020 into the calculation and in so doing enable a further 600,000 self employed to be eligible for the scheme - people who have received nothing from the first three grants.

Pennywise

68ComebackSpecial said:

The rationale behind the delay is to bring the tax year 2019/2020 into the calculation and in so doing enable a further 600,000 self employed to be eligible for the scheme - people who have received nothing from the first three grants.

Not really.  There was nothing to stop those people submitting their tax returns at any time from 6/4/20 onwards.  Most people submit their tax returns well ahead of the 31 January deadline, after all it's a deadline, not a target.  Even people who submitted months ago aren't eligible for the first 3 SEISS grants - no logic or valid reason at all - they should all be paid the first 3 grants if they qualify for the 4th.  Won't happen of course because then Rishi would have to admit his mistakes!