UK gig workers face financial exclusion when accessing loans and mortgages

New report finds that 76% of UK gig workers have struggled to gain approval to access financial products such as a loan or mortgage.

The Hidden Cost of Gig Worker Living report from Rollee also revealed that just over 7 in 10 (74%) UK gig workers have been denied access to basic financial products such as a loan, despite having a good credit score. 

Of 1002 gig workers surveyed, over half (60%) of gig workers have had to apply to three or more different lenders before receiving access to a credit card or loan. 10% were successful when applying to their first lender. 

There are 4.4 million people working for gig economy platforms at least once a week in the UK today who contribute £20bn to the UK economy. 

The hidden cost of gig worker living
The report highlights that the struggle to access financial products is having an impact on the lives of gig workers across the UK. In fact, over half (52%) of gig workers surveyed have lost out on a new home due to being declined by a bank or building society, despite knowing they have affordability. 

Gig workers surveyed also expressed the struggles they experienced when accessing financial services such as loans, or credit cards. Almost a third (32%) say it has placed stress on them and their families. Others report it has caused them financial hardship (29%), has prevented them from accessing housing (20%) and impacted the opportunities available to them in life (29%).

Looking ahead, 80% of gig workers surveyed feel concerned that the current economic climate will impact their ability to be approved for a loan and to help with the cost of living throughout winter and the Christmas period, 25% will apply for a loan over the next couple of months.

Ali Hamriti, CEO and Co-founder at Rollee comments: “This research reveals the level of financial exclusion gig workers are facing. The struggle gig workers experience is not because they can’t afford a loan or mortgage, but because the current credit scoring systems of financial institutions are not set up to verify their multiple records of income and employment data. And with financial institutions under increasing pressure, this results in workers being denied access to products they should be entitled to.” 

“Self-employed workers need a fair chance to be able to prove their solvency to financial institutions. As the number of independent workers continues to rise, it is vital that financial organisations find new ways to gain full visibility of self-employed workers’ employment data to assess them fairly, and ensure they are not excluded from financial products just because of their working status.”