Allan is right, many are on zero-hours, part-time and minimum wage contracts. Many have these horrific "self-employed" jobs. They are not self employed, they work for some local agency. There is a cleaning company near me which advertises for "self-employed" workers at the minimum wage, maybe marginally above, then advertises the services of cleaners at £11 per hour. Next time they do it I think I will report them to HMRC, I cannot believe that this is legal.