TWICKENHAM, UK. January 27th, 2025 - New research shows 45% of freelancers saw their mental health decline in 2024, after an incredibly challenging year in 2024, and only 6% felt supported by government.
Data from Leapers, a project exploring and supporting the mental health of freelancers, shows almost half of freelancers felt their mental health got worse during last year, amid the rising cost of living.
71% of freelancers had to face clients paying them late, and 72% faced ghosting, with clients no longer replying to messages, even half-way through a project or before they've paid for the work.
Over two-thirds of freelancers don't feel they know where to find adequate support for their mental health at work, and only 6% feel like the government had their back in 2024, with micro-businesses receiving very little in the way of support over the last 12 months.
Only 10% of freelancers said they didn't feel lonely, isolated or disconnected during 2024, and for almost one-third of our group stated they self-employment wasn't by choice, but found themselves freelancing due to circumstances outside of their control, such as roles being made redundant, or being unable to find employment allowing them to work around their needs, such as carers, parents or those with disabilities.
"It is estimated there are over 2 million freelancers in the UK, who deliver over £160bn to the British economy, yet they don't have access to adequate support for their mental health - which will undoubtedly have an impact on the already stretched NHS, if their mental health continues to decline," explains Matthew Knight, founder of Leapers, the project that has been researching the mental health of freelancers since 2019.
"We're calling upon anyone who works with freelancers to understand the challenges and gaps in support their workforce are facing, and ask, 'What can we do to better support our workforce?' We'd love to see the UK Government actively engaging with freelancers and providing better signposting and support for the unique set of challenges the self-employed face," Knight suggests.
The full report has been published on the Leapers website, as well as www.freelancing.support - a new website for freelancers which signposts to resources and guides for those who are freelancing, across a wide range of topics including mental health.
Shib Mathew, co-founder of freelancing.support, and ex-founder of the UK's largest freelancing marketplace, applauded the work from Leapers: "The work that Leapers project has done over the years in championing good mental health and wellbeing is an asset to the freelance and self-employed community."
Data from Leapers, a project exploring and supporting the mental health of freelancers, shows almost half of freelancers felt their mental health got worse during last year, amid the rising cost of living.
71% of freelancers had to face clients paying them late, and 72% faced ghosting, with clients no longer replying to messages, even half-way through a project or before they've paid for the work.
Over two-thirds of freelancers don't feel they know where to find adequate support for their mental health at work, and only 6% feel like the government had their back in 2024, with micro-businesses receiving very little in the way of support over the last 12 months.
Only 10% of freelancers said they didn't feel lonely, isolated or disconnected during 2024, and for almost one-third of our group stated they self-employment wasn't by choice, but found themselves freelancing due to circumstances outside of their control, such as roles being made redundant, or being unable to find employment allowing them to work around their needs, such as carers, parents or those with disabilities.
"It is estimated there are over 2 million freelancers in the UK, who deliver over £160bn to the British economy, yet they don't have access to adequate support for their mental health - which will undoubtedly have an impact on the already stretched NHS, if their mental health continues to decline," explains Matthew Knight, founder of Leapers, the project that has been researching the mental health of freelancers since 2019.
"We're calling upon anyone who works with freelancers to understand the challenges and gaps in support their workforce are facing, and ask, 'What can we do to better support our workforce?' We'd love to see the UK Government actively engaging with freelancers and providing better signposting and support for the unique set of challenges the self-employed face," Knight suggests.
The full report has been published on the Leapers website, as well as www.freelancing.support - a new website for freelancers which signposts to resources and guides for those who are freelancing, across a wide range of topics including mental health.
Shib Mathew, co-founder of freelancing.support, and ex-founder of the UK's largest freelancing marketplace, applauded the work from Leapers: "The work that Leapers project has done over the years in championing good mental health and wellbeing is an asset to the freelance and self-employed community."
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