The appointment of a Freelance Champion has been delayed 

The appointment of a Freelance Champion has been delayed – but why is it needed in the first place?

It is a role intended to make sure the voices of freelancers are heard in the heart of government, but as we approach the end of January there is still no sign of the promised Freelance Champion.

An appointment was supposed to be made by Christmas 2025, but the deadline came and went without any news out of Westminster.

From government to unions, it is widely accepted that freelancers are at the forefront of any drive for economic growth in the creative sector. Unions, including Bectu  – the Union for Creative Ambition, have said the delay in appointing a Freelance Champion is a blow to this growth.

Those in government have said they are continuing to work to make an appointment, but does this delay represent another missed opportunity?

In this article, we look at what the role of a Freelance Champion would be and its importance in pushing the sector forward.

What challenges exist in the creative sector?

The creative sector in the UK is a significant cultural and economic driver, contributing £124bn to the economy in 2023.

Many of those doing jobs ranging from software and video games, influencers and musicians to artists and designers are self-employed. And a significant number are freelancers who face income insecurity and limited access to rights and benefits. 

According to the 2025 Big Freelancer Survey by Freelancers Make Theatre Work, an alarming 44% of creative freelancers earn less than the National Living Wage.

Self-employed creatives have, and still, face a series of challenges:

• Lack of government support: 
  
  The government has acknowledged that self-employed creatives often lack the support and training opportunities they need. They are more exposed to the fluctuations of the economy and lack protections such as parental rights, sick pay, and pensions.
  
  It is also widely recognised that freelancers in the creative sector can find it hard to access training. The financial burden of training falls entirely on self-employed creatives, making upskilling difficult to afford.
  
  Meanwhile, bodies such as the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre have reported that the skills system is notoriously hard to navigate with the portfolio-based nature of many creative careers an additional challenge.
  
  Policymakers have admitted there is a requirement for varied education pathways into careers and lifelong learning for career development to be introduced.
  
  
• Tax and benefits: 
  
  The existing rules around tax and benefits don’t work effectively for many freelancers in the creative sector. Many hold several jobs to sustain a creative career, and need to navigate a complex, bureaucratic tax and benefits system. 
  
  This can be made particularly difficult when freelancer earnings typically fluctuate from month to month.
  
  Research by the University of Glasgow , entitled Make Freelancing Pay, suggests targeted tax reforms – such as Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts scheme, which pays artists and creative arts workers a basic amount of €325 per week – could provide a boost to the economy and increase freelancers’ disposable income significantly.
  
  
• Low or inconsistent pay:
  
  While the flexible nature of being self-employed has many benefits, it can also be precarious with low pay a common complaint.
  
  The sector is notorious for its ‘feast or famine’ nature, which can make budgeting and planning extremely difficult, while Bectu has said that its members have consistently reported that they are worse off since 2020.
  
  Such is the level of uncertainty for many in the field that the Centre for Cultural Value Report 2022  called for social security provision, including a universal basic income, to be used to support freelance creatives.
  
  
• Hangover from the pandemic: 
  
  Many self-employed creatives are still recovering from the impact of the Covid pandemic. While those in regular employment enjoyed the benefits of furlough, self-employed professionals often missed out on any available support with large numbers of people ineligible for the government’s Self-Employed Income Support Scheme.
  
  

What is a Freelance Champion?

Many organisations have continually called for someone with experience of the creative sector and being self-employed to be involved in making those decisions which impact freelances.

Last year, as part of its Creative Industries Sector Plan , the government announced that the Department of Culture, Media and Sport would agree to those calls and appoint a Freelance Champion.

It said the role would include a remit to address concerns such as low pay and poor working conditions, and would “advocate for the sector’s creative freelancers in Government”.

Overall, the plan’s wider goal is to increase annual creative sector investment from £17bn to £31bn by 2035. As such, it has pledged to recognise the key role freelancers play in providing innovation, cultural production, and export growth.

It states that the Freelance Champion would be a member of a new Creative Industries Council, but despite the importance designated to the role it will be non-statutory meaning it may not have any legally defined duties or any power to change the law.

The plan also stated the role would be in place before the end of 2025.

Why the delay?

In short, the government has not indicted why the position was not filled by its self-imposed deadline.

This delay has prompted criticism from the likes of Bectu and others within the creatives sector such as Directors UK, the Design & Artists Copyright Society and the Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society.

Earlier this month, Bectu said legislative decisions currently being debated in Parliament, including plans found within the Employment Rights Act, will have a profound impact on the future of freelancers – something which only heightens the need for a Freelance Champion to be appointed as soon as possible.

In response, the government has reiterated the vital role played by the creative industry and stated that a Freelance Champion will ensure the voices of self-employed creatives are heard in Parliament.

However, although it said an announcement would be made as swiftly as possible, no further timeline was given.

What is clear is that if the government is serious about supporting self-employed creatives it needs to appoint someone who is dedicated to representing their interests, and who has experience of the sector.

And it needs to do it sooner rather than later.

At Qdos, we are committed to monitoring developments in employment law and policy to help small businesses, the self-employed, contractors and freelancers understand what the latest trends and legislation mean. As such, we will keep you up to date with developments in the Freelance Champion role and other issues relating to the creative sector.