Film & TV Charity report calls out ‘extreme levels of financial vulnerability’ in workforce
The Film & TV Charity in the UK has highlighted “extreme levels of financial vulnerability” among industry workers in its latest report.
The report, titled Money Matters: Examining the Financial Circumstances of the Film, TV and Cinema Industry Workforce, is based on a survey of more than 2,000 behind-the-scenes workers.
The report found the workers were ill-equipped to weather financial storms caused by factors such as the cost-of-living crisis, a continuing downturn in UK production and the effect of the US strikes on UK workers.
According to the report, 45% of respondents were finding it difficult to manage financially, with freelancers, film workers, those with a disability or a long-term health condition and carers with adult dependents finding it particularly difficult.
Forty-two percent had less than £1,000 (US$1,268) in savings, with over 80% seeing savings decrease and 29% having low cash savings and high levels of debt.
Forty percent said they felt they wouldn’t be able to make ends meet for any more than a month if they lost their income, with more than a third running out of money before the end of the week or month most of the time over the prior 12 months.
Over 80% said they had been affected by the recent production downturn, with at least a quarter having work cancelled due to the US strikes. Seventy-one percent were pessimistic or very pessimistic about their financial future.
The report follows a snapshot survey conducted by the charity last year, where it saw an 800% rise in applications for its Stop-Gap Grant from workers experiencing urgent financial need.
Marcus Ryder, CEO of the Film & TV Charity, said: “The Money Matters report is a sobering read and it’s critical that the survey results it highlights form the basis for urgent discussion about the welfare of the film and TV workforce, retention of talent and the future health of the industry as a whole.
“Currently, behind-the-scenes workers are asked to navigate an industry prone to boom and bust cycles, to deal with structural shifts and respond and pivot to meet the needs of changing business models.
“In too many cases, they’re asked to do so without any of the safety nets afforded to other workers, despite being at the heart of a multi-billion-pound pillar of the UK economy. At the same time, we ponder why people are leaving the workforce and why we struggle to attract and retain talent from marginalised or underrepresented groups.
“The Film & TV Charity advocates for better mental health, financial wellbeing and for equity and inclusion, but we won’t achieve any one of those without addressing the others. So it’s inherent that we have the difficult conversations, address the business models and identify the policies needed so that we can collectively make a real difference to a workforce currently struggling to find any optimism in its financial future.”
