'Warn your MP against any cap on contracting'

‘Better to be safe than sorry’ seems to be the message coming from IPSE, the UK’s Association for Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed.

Although IPSE is unable to verify whether claims of a one-month cap on contracting are creditable and, in fact, a proposal, it wants contractors to write a letter of objection anyway.

To help with the task, the association has provided a downloadable letter template “to be sent to your MP, that highlights the damage this [potential] proposal would do.”

The template says: “I urge you to write to the chancellor ahead of the Autumn Statement and ask him to confirm whether these reports are accurate and, if they are, persuade him to reverse course on this damaging proposal.” 

Any individual concerned at the “rumoured” one-month cap on contracting can print and send the letter by post, or use the writetothem.com website to paste the text into an email.

“IPSE really needs your help to stop our businesses being destroyed and the world of contracting being changed forever,” added IPSE chief executive Chris Bryce.

“[The one-month-then-payroll clause]...would make operating a freelance business almost impossible in many instances, and would cause untold damage to the UK's economy.”