Chancellor Rachel Reeves must use the autumn budget to boost the UK’s creative industries if she is serious about delivering economic growth, according to Blick Rothenberg, the leading audit, tax and business advisory firm.
Partner Mandy Girder said the creative industries – from film and music to digital media and design – remained one of the UK’s most dynamic growth engines, contributing around £124 billion to the economy in 2023, according to the government.
“The UK creative sector is an important part of the economy,” said Girder. “But to deliver Labour’s growth agenda there needs to be more targeted support for freelancers in the media industry.”
Freelancers form the backbone of the UK’s creative workforce – yet many struggle with irregular income, late payments and limited access to financial support between contracts.
Girder said an emergency fund for freelancers “to stay afloat as they move between jobs or wait for late payments” would provide immediate relief and help retain skilled professionals in the industry.
However, she added that structural changes were just as important as short-term support.
“Preventing these cash flow problems in the first place would go a long way,” she said. “The government should introduce prompt pay rules specific to the creative sector and ensure freelancers are paid within a reasonable timeframe – similar to the protections already in place for government suppliers.”
Girder called for the reintroduction of freelance tax breaks, similar to those provided during the pandemic, to help independent creatives offset job-related costs such as software, equipment and studio space.
“This would help small but established freelancers manage their expenses and stay productive,” she said. “It should be accompanied by increased or more permanent relief for the creative industries.”
She also proposed start-up grants for graduates and young professionals to bridge the gap between university and employment.
“Some young people spend years improving their skills, but find it incredibly difficult to get into paid work,” Girder said. “A start-up scholarship could offer them a lifeline to start their careers and contribute to the economy.”
Girder said that while regional funding programs in the West Midlands, North East and Wales had proven effective, similar funds should be expanded across the UK to create a “national safety net” for creative freelancers.
She also called on the Treasury to increase the budget for the Global Screen Fund, which helps boost British film and television exports abroad.
“More regional and national funding streams would unlock creative potential outside London and ensure the UK remains globally competitive,” she said.
Freelancers say slow and inconsistent payments remain one of the biggest challenges facing the industry.
Neil Kerber, an award-winning cartoonist, described how late payments affect livelihoods and morale: “It would be very helpful if a freelancer like me could get paid quickly, or at least on time, instead of finding out weeks later that my invoice has yet to be approved – and then being forgotten for another eight weeks,” he said.
“I once waited five months for an important invoice to be paid. On-time payment policies would encourage businesses to process invoices efficiently and give creators much-needed support as they chase overdue payments.”
The UK creative sector is a major exporter, a cultural powerhouse and a proven growth engine. But as Labor looks to deliver on its promise of economic expansion, Girder says protecting the sector’s freelancers – who make up a significant proportion of the workforce – must be part of the plan.
“This is an industry that delivers jobs, innovation and global influence,” she said. “But to sustain this success, the people who drive it – freelancers and small creative businesses – need stability, fair pay and concrete government support.”
