During the pandemic large numbers of workers and businesses struggled as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. This meant the government also decided to implement support schemes which included the furlough scheme and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme.

Whilst these schemes helped businesses and employees across the UK millions of people were excluded from the schemes. These included Limited Company Directors, individuals on zero hour contracts, some self-employed individuals who were kept out by government rules and employees who were denied furlough. Centre worked with MPs, Shadow Ministers, the largest All Party Parliamentary Group in small businesses, and the self employed. We worked with them to support those who were unable to access financial support from the government during the pandemic.

The Excluded Unity Alliance was founded to support these individuals and to campaign for them to be included in the schemes. Before this project Centre Think Tank had already been involved with two rally’s in London and Liverpool along with writing three papers on the issue. They commissioned a paper from Centre Think Tank looking at including more people in the governments income support schemes.

We designed our scheme to support those who were excluded, reduce the skills shortage by focusing on skills training and boost the recovery from the pandemic.