Great Britain: support directed to the technical sector ahead of Brexit and higher national insurance contribution rates for the self-employed

On 08 March the UK Chancellor presented the ‘last ever’ spring budget in which new support of £500 million (€577 million) was earmarked for technical education ahead of what could be expected to be an exacerbation of the shortage of skilled manpower affecting the UK after Brexit. In another key measure the Chancellor increased social insurance contribution rates for the self-employed.
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Self-employed social insurance contribution rates will rise 1% to 10% from April 2018 and will be followed by a further 1% increase to 11% from April 2019. Chancellor Philip Hammond announced this measure as part of his final spring budget presented on 08 March. Going forward the country will have only one autumn budget per year starting this autumn (c.f. article No. 9936). “Both employees and the self-employed use public services in the same way but they don’t contribute in the same way. Lower

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