Racing is just one industry that has found itself at the mercy of the current lockdown but for those who have found themselves out of work a number of schemes exist to help ease the fi nancial burden during these di cult times

For a large number of racing employees – for example those who work for racecourses, the BHA and the Racing Post – the word ‘furlough’ has entered the lexicon.

While being unable to work amid the coronavirus crisis and lockdown, and paid 80% of their monthly salary, capped at £2,500 by the government, such employees at least have their wages sorted out for them, the administration taken care of by their employer.

Racing, however, is a sport awash with self-employed workers, including jockeys, and their situation has been both tougher and less straightforward.

The government, understandably, took longer to arrange support measures for the self-employed, adding to and extending concerns, and indeed the Self-employment Income Support Scheme’s (SEISS) online service was not due to be available until the middle of May, with payments, backdated to the start of lockdown, by early June.

The scheme allows people to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their trading profi ts up to a maximum of £2,500 a month. It will be available for three months initially but might be extended. Individuals can make a claim for Universal Credit while awaiting grants, which do not need to be repaid.

Full details can be found at gov.

The self-employed, meanwhile, are also being helped by measures such as the deferral of self-assessment tax requirements, ‘holidays’ for mortgage payers, and strengthening of the welfare ‘safety net’.

HMRC has a number for coronavirus queries from businesses and selfemployed individuals: 0800 024 1222, with opening hours from 8am-4pm, Monday to Friday.

Most jockeys are self-employed, and it is estimated that up to 35% may not be eligible for government help.

The signifi cant gap – the announcement racing was to be halted with immediate e ect came as long ago as March 17 – until racing’s self-employed workers can receive money from SEISS was among the main reasons for the announcement

of an emergency £22 million support package for the sport on April 17.

The Professional Jockeys Association, the riders’ umbrella body, was given access to nearly £2m, to provide a mixture of loans and grants to jockeys, agents and valets – the latter two groups being among the less high-profi le members of racing’s family but, given their self-employed status and reliance on the sport taking place for livelihoods, as vulnerable as any.

The PJA, additionally, in partnership with the Injured Jockeys Fund, created a Jockeys Hardship Grant Fund. Both organisations set aside a signifi cant six-fi gure sum from their own funds, matching grant funding from the Racing Foundation, to assist jockeys with immediate hardship issues.

There are three elements to the assistance programme for jockeys, agents and valets: an income support scheme; interest-free overdrafts; and the Hardship Grant Fund – full details are available via thepja.co.uk.

PJA Chief Executive Paul Struthers said: “There has been signifi cant uncertainty and concern among our members, and I’m sure this has been shared by the many other selfemployed individuals in the racing industry.”

Another large group of selfemployed within racing are trainers, and with thousands of racehorses still requiring daily care and exercise it has not been possible for trainers to furlough many sta .

The National Trainers Federation’s latest estimate was that around 80% of stable sta are still working.

Stable sta should benefi t from a scheme to allow trainers to apply for loans to help pay their wages until government support payments are made. The NTF proposed the plan after concern about the gap in receiving money from the Job Retention Scheme for sta who have been furloughed.

A new industry scheme – the Racing Relief Fund – will be led by the ROA to meet the welfare needs of horses whose owners are su ering fi nancial hardship. Supported by the Racing Foundation, this will provide up to

The majority of stud and stable employees are continuing to work while racing is on hold

£2.5m of grants to assist with costs of looking after horses, in racing stables and in rehoming centres. Further details can be accessed at info@roa.co.uk.

ROA Chief Executive Charlie Liverton said: “Racing’s leaders want to act as quickly as possible to protect livelihoods and address hardship. Make no mistake, there are people struggling who need our help. We hope this funding will go a long way to supporting the most vulnerable.

“People across racing, including many owners, are currently facing signifi cant fi nancial challenges whilst continuing to maintain payments. We would like to thank trainers and everyone else who has worked hard to ease costs and care for horses in these most trying of times.”

The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association has established a helpful coronavirus hub within its website – thetba.co.uk – to keep the breeding industry up to date with latest developments. It also last month conducted a survey to discover how coronavirus is a ecting breeders.

Of the Levy Board and Racing Foundation’s £22m emergency funding package, up to £8m was to be made available for human and equine hardship issues as follows (the remaining sum of money was to be made available to racecourses):

• Filling the furlough and SEISS gap up to £2.79m • The establishment of a Racing Relief

Fund up to £2.5m • Jockeys support and hardship scheme up to £900,000 • Support for British racing’s charities up to £900,000 • Support for Racing Welfare’s hardship grants up to £750,000 • Racing Industry Accident Benefi t

Scheme up to £104,000

Those within the industry – especially the self-employed – are strongly encouraged to make use of the available schemes and funding as outlined, while we all await racing’s return and the re-establishment of bloodstock sales.

Nick Rust, the Chief Executive of the BHA, said: “This package of self-help funding o ers some initial relief to the hard-working people, horses and businesses on whom racing relies.

“We know this does not solve the acute problems the industry is facing but it will provide much needed shortterm assistance.

“Now we have an incredibly tough battle on our hands with an unprecedented collapse in income. More support will be needed and the most important way to achieve this will be through a safe resumption of racing when conditions allow.

“We have communicated this to the government and we are working hard with the other major sports to bring this about.”

In the meantime, in addition to the website address for SEISS, and jockeys’, owners’ and breeders’ websites given in bold above, the following may be useful and relevant for others working in racing, or retired:

As this issue went to press, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, revealed a further initiative to help small businesses, which can apply for a new Bounce Back Loan up to a maximum of £50,000, or 25% of turnover, with the government paying the interest for the fi rst 12 months.