The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, must use the Autumn Budget to bolster the UK’s creative industries if she is serious about delivering economic growth, according to leading audit, tax and business advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.
Partner Mandy Girder said the creative industries — from film and music to digital media and design — remain one of the UK’s most dynamic growth engines, contributing around £124 billion to the economy in 2023, according to government data.
“The UK’s creative industry is an important part of the economy,” Girder said. “But to achieve Labour’s growth agenda, there needs to be more targeted support for freelancers in the media industry.”
Freelancers make up the backbone of the UK’s creative workforce — yet many struggle with irregular income, delayed payments, and limited access to financial support between contracts.
Girder said an emergency support fund for freelancers “to stay afloat when between jobs or awaiting late payments” would provide immediate relief and help retain skilled professionals in the sector.
But she added that structural change was just as vital as short-term support.
“Preventing these cashflow issues in the first place would go a long way,” she said. “The government should legislate creative industry-specific prompt payment rules, ensuring freelancers are paid within a reasonable timeframe — similar to the protections already in place for government suppliers.”
Girder called for the reintroduction of tax reliefs for freelancers, similar to those provided during the pandemic, to help independent creatives offset work-related costs such as software, equipment, and studio space.
“This would help small but established freelancers manage expenses and stay productive,” she said. “It should be coupled with increased or more permanent creative industry reliefs.”
She also proposed start-up grants for graduates and emerging professionals to help bridge the gap between university and employment.
“Some young people spend years honing their skills only to find it incredibly difficult to break into paid work,” Girder said. “A start-up grant could give them a lifeline to launch their careers and contribute to the economy.”
Girder said that while regional support schemes in the West Midlands, North East and Wales have proven effective, similar funds should be expanded across the UK to build a “national safety net” for creative freelancers.
She also urged the Treasury to increase the budget for the Global Screen Fund, which helps promote UK 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 disrupt livelihoods and morale: “It would be very helpful if a freelancer such as me could be paid quickly or at least on time, rather than finding out weeks down the line that my invoice still needs to be authorised — then forgotten about for another eight weeks,” he said.
“I once waited five months for a significant invoice to be paid. Prompt payment rules would encourage businesses to handle invoices efficiently and give creatives much-needed backup when chasing overdue payments.”
The UK’s creative sector is a vital export, a cultural powerhouse, and a proven driver of growth. But as Labour seeks to deliver on its promise of economic expansion, Girder said 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 that success, the people who power it — freelancers and small creative businesses — need stability, fair pay, and tangible government support.”
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