£1,800 universal credit for the unemployed AIBU ???

[rosekettie]

Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of sympathy for people that has lost their jobs due to COVID-19. BUT.....just announced now...a family of 2 children out of work can now claim £1,800 worth of universal credit WHILE AS a registered nurse after paying all taxes, parking fee and pension comes home with £1,700 on a good month. That's with enhancements of weekend and night working. Even less so for HCA and other support staff. Maybe we should all go home and isolate..THOUGHTS,????

My OH is currently unemployed as a result of C19. He's entitled to £8.04 a month Universal Credit, because he lives with me and it assumes I can afford to pick up the slack (I cannot). It's not all it's cracked up to be.

Sorry that should be £8.04 a week. But still.

The idea is that money still circulates. By giving unemployed people something that is meant to tie them over in the short term, you don't have a huge amount of people cancelling subscriptions, insurance, memberships, etc. the money is given to them purely so that the flow of money in the economy doesn't stop. It also gives a guarantee (of sorts) to the business owners that the money is still in the economy 'moving' so that they can continue to buy materials, goods, etc and the chain of supply that they rely on whilst also supporting doesn't collapse.

It is clever really. It encourages people to think long term rather than here an now and panic (in theory).

I can understand when you look at figures in black and white it must seem unfair but it is not quite so simple.

I think it's great if you are referring to the furlough thing, although I must admit I am getting a bit envious of those getting to stay at home and not work and get 80% pay - but it is totally the right thing to do.

The love of money is the root of all evil

So an unemployed person gets half as much as an employed person

Allaboard

Subscriptions are the preserve of the rich and will continue to be. I believe it's for a roof over their head and food. priorities and proportion, please

I'm a ITU nurse working full time and my take home pay this month is 1400

I would be lying if I said I didn't briefly think of ways of being fired when I saw my wage slip.

@yelyah22
Could your DP not ask to be furloughed by his employer and receive at least 80% of his normal salary?

If he is self employed, new rules just been published similar to above.

a family of 2 children out of work can now claim £1,800 worth of universal credit WHILE AS a registered nurse after paying all taxes, parking fee and pension comes home with £1,700 on a good month

You are comparing 2 people to one person though?

I’ve been waiting eagerly for the self employed package to be announced as I wasn’t entitled to 80% of my usual wages. As it turns out, I’m newly self employed and don’t have a self employed tax return, so I’m still entitled to fuck all. When questioned about this, the government said only 5% of self employed people wouldn’t be entitled to the grant, but apparently those people are all earning 200k or above so they think it’s fair. That’s absolute bullshit. I earned barely enough to scrape by, but I can’t get the money as I’ve only been self employed 6 months

You will at least not pay the parking fee. The thing is, I know it sounds horrible and I can well understand you feel disrespected. This is actually what happens in some european countries abroad. And it works. In France, people get up to 100% of their former salary. Most people aren’t piss takers. We have the mentality in this country that if you’re not employed, you should live on the bones of your arse.

From April 6th there will be extra WFTC to help working families on a low income.

I bregrudge fuck all to anyone atm.

Ditto.

Can’t please everyone. I knew as soon as this very generous package was announced that people would be whinging about it.

At times like this, I like to think what Jesus would say.

I think Jesus would say: "does a family with 2 children getting £1800 a month affect you at all, my child?"

So an unemployed person gets half as much as an employed person

They have lower outgoings - no commuting costs, they don't need a car, they won't be treating themselves to anything nice because, let's face it, they just don't deserve anything nice do they? If they do then they should be out at work...I hear there is a shortage of pig trainers.

@Mordred you just won the thread.

Feel free to join the masses of unemployed and get your share of the amaaaaaazing benefits and the fun fun fun of being out of work

@Devlesko

Subscriptions are the preserve of the rich and will continue to be. I believe it's for a roof over their head and food. priorities and proportion, please

They are not. Th money is not given because of benevolence - it is given so that the economy keeps moving. On an individual level, we think about our priorities (shelter, food) but on a social welfare level governments provide the money for the benefit of the economy, not the recipients.

I am in no way saying that I agree with this or that I think the priorities are correct - rather that this is what drives it.

I do think it's badly thought out - my company basically went to making 0 money overnight, but didn't want to sack anyone so decided on some people doing a tiny bit of work/training for 50% paycut, and some others doing a bit more work for 30% paycut. There really isn't much work for us to do but they thought this was fairest.

Next day comes out this legislation - so everyone was like, hang on, if you're basically inventing stuff for us to do ANYWAY then we might as well get 80% for doing nothing rather than 50%!

I feel bad if we end up getting the government aid - we are sat with nothing to do earning more than someone actually fighting Covid-19. And I have years of savings for a house deposit, so it's not like anything would happen without that money - we have no debts to pay. It probably should have been means tested.

I think it's not fully thought out but probably the simplest thing they could do in the time given.

I think it just shows the poor pay for nurses. Not a job I’d ever consider due to the salary and long hours but I’ve always thought that nurses, police etc need better pay.

I have to admit that I’m not jealous of anyone who has been laid off and getting 80% of their salary paid. I’m working at home 5 days a week, my children are 12 and 15 so able to do their work themselves and I’m thankful for the distraction and the social interaction working brings (even if that’s on conference calls and phone).

They are doing this because they don't actually have enough staff to process all the claims from people suddenly made unemployed and they hope firms will re employ them afterwards.
It is more money than I earn to OP. Although as a qualified nurse you will have large pension contributions for a decent pension. So tell us how much you are paid before everything comes off? It will be much more than me, but I support this temporary measure.

The cynic in me might think that its so some of their voters dont experience how bad UC has been for a lot of people .