Three quarters of self-employed tradespeople carry more business debt than the national average, self-employed fathers to get paternity support and dinosaur named after brick factory site manager
Nearly three quarters of self-employed tradespeople carry more business debt than the national average.
According to the survey from Lowell, the average tradie owes nearly £6,000.
Almost 5% of respondents admitted their debt was between £50,000 and £75,000.
The report highlighted the significant financial pressure builders face, brought about by rising material prices, equipment investment and securing work.
Late payments and unpaid invoices further squeeze tradespeople’s cash flow, leaving them scrambling to cover upfront job costs.
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Self-employed fathers and partners are now entitled to two weeks of paternity support under government plans announced last week.
Following the expansion, parental pay will reach 150,000 additional people a year.
A spokesperson for campaign group The Dad Shift said the change would give self-employed fathers a chance to show up for their loved ones “when it matters most”.
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A new species of dinosaur discovered at Wienerberger’s Ewhurst brick factory has been named after former site manager Will Proudlove.
The fossil, originally discovered in 2001, has been named Paludohadros proudlovii — a type of plant-eating Iguanodon known for large spikes on its thumbs.
Will, who died shortly before the fossil was discovered, was said to have been fascinated by the idea of finding ancient bones where he worked.
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