Financial Strain and Late Payments Add to Freelancer Pressures

[cryptobro]

Freelancers in the UK’s creative industries are struggling financially, with 42% finding conditions harder than normal and 25% in extreme difficulty. Many face late payments, with 37% reporting cash flow issues or debt due to delays. Around a third have no savings, and fewer than half have a pension. Working-class freelancers face even greater precarity, with higher rates of no savings or pension coverage. Survey respondents described extreme anxiety over finances and the challenge of supporting their families amid uncertain work.

[Rimon Khan]

Late payments are honestly one of the biggest killers of freelance motivation. Clients expect fast delivery but never maintain the same urgency when it’s time to pay.

[alex10]

It’s not just the money delay — it’s the uncertainty. Freelancers live project to project, and when one client delays, the entire month’s stability crashes.