To think that furlough at 80% is FAR too generous.....

[loveyouradvice]

I'm just interested about what others think... I think fine to do this for first three months but really do feel it should be down to 60% or 70% maximum by now....

People on 80% of salary, with no travel or expenses related to working away from home, are really not doing badly .... especially since so much less to spend your money on

It is everyone else I think is having a tough time - whether its kids not getting Free School Meals in holidays, or freelancers or those who've lost their jobs....

I would prefer the "pain" to be shared.... so if on furlough, yes lots of free time and yes, having to tighten your belt a bit....

Would it not be better to pay LESS in furlough - I'm thinking around 65% - and MORE to those who don't qualify but are having a very tough time financially..... ?

But how do you decide who is having a worse time financially?

Wow you seam lovely 🙄🙄

People on 80% of salary, with no travel or expenses related to working away from home, are really not doing badly especially since so much less to spend your money on

So, someone NMW, already shit to live on should somehow try and survive on 65% of it?

Will their rent/mortgage and utilities be reduced to 65% too?

Have you assumed it’s only people on a decent salary being furloughed?

It seems weird that people are going to be furloughed for an entire year. Just feels like they could have done something more constructive with all those people’s time... not sure what though!

Have you tried being on minimum wage, trying to cover your bills and paying full child support after an 80% pay cut?

You’re clearly speaking from a place of enough privilege to pay all your bills, heat the house and put food on the table. That’s more than a lot of people in this country right now.

Oh bore off this has done before and I'm pretty sure we're all bored of it .
Look at where has had to close this time restaurant/ bars / shops / leisure none of these jobs can be done at home and most are not on the highest salary.
Appreciate what you've got at stop being with the furloughed bashing .

I think the support form the gov has been very uneven. So it should probably be on a sliding scale 100% for low income people and less for higher income people perhaps. But realistically how would this be administered in the time?

Som people will be better off on 80% with saving commuting and lunch coats etc and others not. So how would you assess this and pay out accordingly?

If it was possible to live on 60% of minimum wage, that’s what minimum wage would be. I bet we can guess how you vote.

Many European countries have unemployment benefit linked as a percentage of the employees last salary. I think in the Netherlands it's 70% for up to 2 years.

Furlough seems excessive because our regular benefits are so poor.

There is a cap though isn’t there. Isn’t it 80% of salary up to a maximum of £2500 per month? So if you earn a lot more than that you won’t be actually getting 80%.

I presume you're not on NMW?

Behave yourself.

Here in London it’s not uncommon for people to be paying 50% of their salary towards rent or mortgage. That’s without any other living costs. So no, 65% would not be enough.

I think it is madness they are continuing this and to do so at 80% is reckless.

We will be paying for generations.

We are nowhere near touching the recessions experienced in previous generations.

This proping up through quantative easing is disgraceful.

@Bouncycastle12

It seems weird that people are going to be furloughed for an entire year. Just feels like they could have done something more constructive with all those people’s time... not sure what though!

But there not all furloughed for a year though where I work people came back in July and have just been furloughed again . Hopefully they will go back again in December. Its the same for bar staff/ hairdressers they all went back in july and hopefully will go back in December. I suspect the March date is for business that may not need full staff for a while or looking to make redundancy in the next couple of months . Hopefully March time things may be financially better .

I live abroad and DS has just been sent into quarantine. Since he's still young, someone has to stay home with him. I get 67% because it's not me, who is in quarantine.
It's not fun. My expenses don't really drop much by me not going to work.

Are you an economist, financial modeller, statistician or an accountant?

What is the basis of you dreaming up your 65% figure?

Not 64 or 66 but you think 65% is sufficient? There are households seriously struggling on 80% with no eligibility for FSMs.

Think about your post and how you might survive on 65% of your income for a few months.

Travel costs may disappear for some ( I walk to work so not for me) but unfortunately rent, bills, food, clothes, shoes, boiler and washing machine repairs etc.will not pay for themselves.

I'm not furloughed so not worried for myself butnfor many it will be hard especially now that its winter and theyll need heating on more than usual because they're at home.

I'm on nmw in non essential retail. I work my arse off to get commission. I've had my contract hrs dropped. So I'm now back on furlough (paid less hours) , no overtime, no commission and my husband is self employed but not long enough to qualify for government help. Should we and the kids just starve??!!

If you don't think it's ok now, why do you think it was ok at the start? Surely we all could have suffered more right from the beginning?

Oh do give it a rest. Most people who are affected are on minimum wage. Even if they're not, there is a cap which impacts a lot of households.

By your logic, anyone wfh should take a pay cut.

I take it you have a lot of disposable income. Lucky you.

It is difficult I know someone who has been able to overpay on their mortgage on 80 %

I fully agree with the support being given and as I understand it the scheme also can be the difference between a business deciding to make someone redundant or be able to keep them employed? I don't work in HR and have fortunately (so far) not been affected but there is more to consider than how much an employee may receive. And yes, for many people 80% of a full wage could be incredibly difficult to live off for various reasons.

How many people do you know that spend more than 20% of their wages on travelling expenses?

They'll have other expenses that have gone up - heating their home all day for starters.

Losing 20% of their pay, and spending months wondering about job security, is "sharing the pain".

Don't you think if it was affordable for people to be on less the governement would be paying less? It's not like we have a government who enjoy just giving people money.

Having a system of 65% furlough plus people claiming means tested top ups would just be complicated and expensive.

agree with OP. It is quite generous. Meanwhile some fall through the cracks entirely