To SCREAM from the rooftops that furlough needs to be extended at least 6 more months

[Marg33t]

Furlough saves jobs and saves people's health. Why is the extension not announced today?

People are losing their jobs at a rapid rate as it's near to the 30-45 days for consultations for redundancies. It needs to be extended or more people will lose their jobs. Other counties are running it until next year and it makes me feel sick that we aren't protecting and saving jobs!

Think the resentment, evident on this thread, towards those who were previous furloughed is pretty pointless and misguided.

But oh so very British. This country is run on resentment, not aspiration. Try and sell "we can all do better together" and you'll be laughed at. Try and sell "it's their fault", and you'll get elected.

Generally speaking.

@OpenlyGayExOlympicFencer

Good to see some actual thinking in contrast to the dozens of posters who’ve mindlessly parroted that there’s no question of continuing furlough as there’s no money tree and it’s unsustainable, etc.

It may well be the case (I haven’t researched and I don’t know), however it’s clear that for many thus just ‘feels’ like the right answer and they really haven’t given it much further thought.

“This country is run on resentment, not aspiration.”

100% @SerendipityJane

I moved back to the UK from another European country a few years back and the contrast was striking. I think you’ve summed it up very accurately.

Thank you weave!

I'm not claiming to have all the answers but I do think we as a society could do with a proper discussion about this. Look at all the options, think creatively and ideally long term if at all possible.

I do think we as a society could do with a proper discussion about this

This is the UK. Think again.

I’m not jealous or angry with people who were previously furloughed that would make no sense, it was not a choice and must have been an uncertain time, I do wonder whether we can afford another 6 months.

@Reedwarbler

Am I being naive in hoping that the massive costs that are having to be borne by government (due to the current situation) might still result in the cancellation of HS2, or has that ship really sailed? I know a lot has been spent already, but it is really going to be a white elephant, especially as wfh will become standard so commuting will lessen. I live in hope.

Yes, let's cancel the project that will create tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade. That'll help.

Are you paying for it op? Thanks very much

Whas it, what, £110 billion for the Moonshot thingy? Plus how much for Brexit? Seems things can be afforded if the will is there.

I think 110b for the moonshot thing is bloody insane too, especially when it seems people will also have to pay for the tests (at least Boris refuses to confirm otherwise)

Would be nice for furlough to continue. I just cannot see it happening at all

Also agree the brexit cost is insane.

As is the housing situation, and many many other things. When I say we cannot afford it, I mean..when priorities are where they seemingly are. Yeah, if house was cleaned we possibly could. But while so much is being spent elsewhere with no signs of change, nope.

Also Dh is kind of looking at this being a bonus at the moment, he knows his job is most likely gone and it will be UC until he finds another. So any payments in the meantime, as a bonus, rather than expected. Horrid situation, given we were so..comfortable. But it is what it is..

It's all very well saying people should have foreseen job losses/redundancy or retrain etc. I know one person who has taken voluntary redundancy after being on furlough from the arts/live events sector and is doing some courses and setting up his own business. But he has a tiny mortgage and got a decent redundancy package.

A lot of these sectors will have very niche skills that they will have trained for years to do, as well as staff on NMW (theatre, tv, aviation etc) Some of the more experienced people are overlooked for lower jobs for being over qualified.
While lots of people saying furlough shouldn't be extended there will be lots of things that arent viable now (gym, travel, theatres, sports events, festivals) that until this year would be quite profitable businesses.

Yes, let's cancel the project that will create tens of thousands of jobs over the next decade. That'll help

Only if at the end of that project people still need to whizz between Birmingham and London 10% faster than they can now in enough numbers to make the whole thing commercially viable. Bearing in mind in "English" commercially viable means "will make enough money for my mates".

Might be much better for jobs and the environment might be to work on two opposed inclined planes so that you can freewheel from London to Birmingham on your bike and make the return journey the same way. Hopelessly impractical, but fantastically imaginative. Again, from long experience, not appreciated in the UK.

The phrases 'taxpayers money' and 'my taxes' should be bloody banned. Its this short-term thinking that's screwing this country. We all pay taxes, even those of us that were furloughed
Should people without children not pay tax towards education? Those with private healthcare not pay tax towards the NHS? We all end up paying for things that don't directly benefit us, but do benefit society. What a race to the bottom we now have in the UK. Taxes are a good thing, they enable us to live in a civilised society. People need to stop thinking of it as their money, it isn't. Its money paid to create a reasonable standard of living for everyone, or at least it should be.

@JumperTime

But most businesses are open again , as are schools and childcare providers. Not sure why furlough would need extended unless schools shut again. I've been back at work working closely with colleagues and clients since the end of June as we're an essential business and can't work from home.

There are still lots of industry that isn’t back to normal

Airlines
Holiday companies
Hotels
Events
Congresses and exhibitions
All the small companies that service the above eg stand builders, branded merchandise suppliers, banner printers, baristas, etc
Festivals and concerts (and again food stands, tickets staff, security, face painters, singers/bands, road crew, sound and light technicians etc)
Children’s parties - entertainers, face painters, caterers, venues etc. No one is having big parties at the moment
Weddings - venues, cake makers, bands, wedding dress shops, caterers, etc etc
Tailors and dry cleaners - people aren’t going into office so aren’t having suits made or going to events that need clothes dry cleaning for
Outdoor adventures - schools and youth groups aren’t going on residential so all the staff employed to teach climbing and kayaking etc and all the other staff - cooks cleaners etc
Cafes and sandwich delivery for business - especially in cities office areas.

Some of the above are open on a small scale but need nowhere near the amount of staff as usual. Some have found other ways to survive etc caterers selling boxes of afternoon teas etc but again don’t need anywhere near the same amount of staff.

Ok so I take it that the 78% not in agreement with extending furlough must all be in jobs that are stable or have at least more certainty than those unfortunates working in the hospitality industries & airline industry.

Or anyone on here who is currently furloughed but happy for their income to drop to nothing in the very near future?

I work in the events industry and I know loads and loads of sound technicians, booth builders, film crew, etc etc who would love to be working but the work just isn’t there.

A lot of these sectors will have very niche skills that they will have trained for years to do, as well as staff on NMW

Reversing the telescope, the creeping normalisation and acceptance (as this thread shows at 188 posts and not one mention yet) that even two wage earners can need a subsidy from the state in the shape of working tax credits hasn't helped the situation.

What's that, you say ? Two people in a family go out to work and they still qualify for benefits ? What the fuck is that about ?

There's something very very rotten at the core of our society and this is just exposing it, but isn't responsible for it.

Isn't the government gonna print magic money for this? Yeah I didn't think so either.

There are going to be many more redundancies not just those furloughed, business is on it's arse.
Nobody is safe, look out for all the middle management going when companies decide to let the juniors take their place.
Was done to save money in past recessions.
it's the mc workers jobs who will go, perhaps more so than those min wage entry jobs, that don't cost employers as much.

@TurquoiseDress no, I'm not in a stable job, but I don't think furlough should continue.

My business has been decimated but I've not qualified for any help as I'm self employed, after transferring from a limited company in 2019. So I've not received a penny of help. Not am I entitled enough to expect the government to help me out of every hole I fall into. I'm clawing my own way out, it's hard, I've spent all my savings and I'm going to struggle to make ends meet.

Many people didn't really give a shit about others who weren't entitled to furlough, or who fell through the cracks because they were lucky enough to get financial help. Now they want more help. Unfortunately it's time for everyone to get real and face the same uncertain, unfair future.

Furlough does save jobs .

You can’t just generalise like that .

It has allowed our company flexibility. And has probably saved 4 jobs out of 11.

Strange thing, this thread.

Given the amount of threads insulting people on benefits and more or less describing them as the scum of the earth, perhaps those who have been furloughed and having their furlough cut might dig deep and come up with a bit more understanding for those on who have had to cope with worse than this situation all along .

A lot of fuss being made about Universal Credit, which is fine and good.

However those on legacy benefits receive less than anyone else and subjected to inhuman assessments over many years. PIP the same.

Look around you.

How about a four day week? Spread the work there is around a bit more?

Given that the taxpayers have already spent enough on Brexit to own an international space station, it seems there's plenty they can pay for.

Not to mention a bank bailout, nuclear weapons, and a few illegal wars.

I agree it is unsustainable in its current form but there should be some support for businesses and their employees where the business is actually a viable business but been forced to close. Otherwise let’s just wave bye bye now to our theatres, events industries etc.

Tax payers have paid for PPE contracts that produced nothing, testing and tracing that is ineffectual, an app that never even materialised, the utter shitshow that is Brexit, and HS2 which has zero economic benefit. If people are saying we can't afford furlough, I trust they're up in arms about the aforementioned

I might memorise this for the next time a client asks me why they're expected to live on £74.35 pw JSA.