Self-employed on paper only?

On 14 October 2026 the UK government launched a consultation on the rules used to decide whether someone has worker rights or is genuinely self-employed. These are proposals, not a law already in force. An external estimate cited by the government suggests up to 900,000 people could be at risk of bogus self-employment. This is a possible scale of the problem, not a list of people already entitled to payments.

Why does status matter?

Imagine a courier whose contract says self-employed, while the company sets prices, controls the work and limits who may substitute. No single sign settles the question: the real working relationship matters, not just the contract label. Employment law distinguishes employees, workers with core rights, and genuinely self-employed people. Workers can already have rights to the minimum wage, paid holiday and rest breaks; employees usually have further rights. Genuine freelancers run their own businesses and generally do not receive these rights from clients.

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What would change?

• In a status dispute, the government proposes a presumption that the person is a worker, leaving the business to show otherwise. At present the person generally has to prove their status.
• It proposes putting less weight on a contractual right to send a substitute and more on how much control the business actually exercises.
• For genuinely self-employed people, it is considering written contract information and wider protection against blacklisting and some health and safety risks.

The proposals may change after consultation. They do not propose changes to tax status or tax rules. Tax status and employment-rights status are separate questions.

What can you do now?

1. Compare your contract with reality: who sets your prices and hours, who supervises the work, and can you actually send someone else? Keep contracts, messages, assignments and payment records.
2. Check Acas guidance on self-employment and current worker rights. For free advice call Acas on 0300 123 1100, weekdays 8am–6pm; telephone translation is available.
3. If you are concerned about minimum wage or working hours, use the official pay and work rights complaint form. Former workers can also report an employer. You do not need to wait for the consultation.
4. Workers and small businesses can respond to the consultation by 11:55pm UK time on 8 January 2027. The government page also gives an email response route.

Geographical scope: the proposals cover England, Wales and Scotland. Employment law is devolved in Northern Ireland. An individual’s status depends on their own working arrangements, not their occupation alone.

Primary sources: the 14 October government announcement, consultation page and full consultation document. Checked 14 October 2026.