EIC0773

Written evidence submitted by Ian Colley

My name is Ian Colley. I’m a 44 year old Self Employed TV Director and I live in Hertfordshire.

My income since February has been Zero.

I am a single father of two young children; […] and […].  They’re my whole world, and since COVID-19 hit us in March I’ve been caring for, and home schooling both of them to the best of my very limited ability and it’s been incredibly tough.  In many ways it’s been a blessing being able to spend so much quality time with them, but because I’ve received so little support it’s all come at a huge price.

I have always paid every penny of tax, and National Insurance owed to HMRC.

During lockdown I have also been caring for my elderly Mum, who is Diabetic and has been shielding throughout.  We lost my Dad on Christmas Day, so we’ve all had to deal with two very contrasting forms of isolation.  I have also been an active member of a local community group who have been helping vulnerable people with shopping, prescriptions and company (at a distance, of course).

It was not my choice to be self employed. I would give anything to have a staff job, and pay PAYE tax, but that’s just not how the industry I work in operates. I do not ever dictate the terms of any contract I sign and have been exploited many times as a result.  I have worked in the TV industry for my whole working life since I graduated in 1998.  Normally speaking I earn more than £50k a year (not much more), and given my proximity to London (where I have to be for my work) it really doesn’t go very far.

I made a decision very early in my life to do something I love (as opposed to something I have to do to make a living), and I love what I do.  I’m only ever employed on a short term basis, I have to find anything up to 10 new jobs a year.  I risk long periods of unemployment, I rarely know when and where I will be working from month to month, I receive no holiday pay, I have no pension and very little financial stability as a result.  I also have to travel, quite often at the drop of a hat to break even.  As glamorous as this sounds, to me this simply means time away from my kids, and my home.

The most frustrating thing for me is that many of my peers are currently entitled to 80% of their income because of their tax status, despite the fact that they earn more than £50k a year, and actually because they’re working from home and/or are furloughed, they’re currently profiting from the generous financial help offered by the Government.  At the same time I’m having to use savings that I’ve worked long and hard to achieve, and by the time this is all over, will essentially be gone.

I know that these are tough times but the disparity here is simply too much, and I have nothing left.  Can you help?

June 2020