How do the government expect people to cope on SSP!

[Bee4229]

Even if it just for a short time.

Dp usually earns £500-600 a week. I'm not working currently. Both my children have sen and I'm finding it hard to find work around dc and Dp's hours. Own our own house etc.

Anyway, Dp has tested positive for covid. His workplace has always paid full sick pay but apparently not for covid isolation reasons. So pretty much 2 weeks worth of pay gone and SSP of what £90 something a week? I mean £90 a week?! Dp has worked since he was 12 and barely had a day off.

The worst thing is there's been an outbreak at his work his due to their lack of caring about covid. People are encouraged to come in with symptoms whilst waiting for test results, they don't notify other staff members when someone they've been in contact with had tested positive. It's a shambles. Now the staff are paying the price.

We will be £800+ worse off this month, at Christmas.

I still have gifts to buy. What the f**k am I gonna do.

We do have some money coming in. £30 a week from my eldests dad. Also, my eldest gets DLA and child benefit but that isn't going to go far. We also get £25 PW child tax credits.

So aibu to tell family we really can't be buying them much if anything this year. Thankfully the kids have been sorted for a while.

Doesn't help our car has just gone wrong and cost £400 to fix so that's also put us at a disadvantage.

Thankfully mil has given us a butchers voucher (gave it to us weeks ago) to get our Christmas meat. I am more so grateful than I was before she's done that (as our Christmas gift).

We have a small amount of savings that won't last long and that's our back up plan if things go wrong in the house.

I appreciate there's people in worse situation but right now I feel like Christmas is gonna be crap. I know it's not about the money but it helps especially with food and needing to put fuel in the car to visit family (once our isolation is over).

Not sure what this post is going to do. I just want to rant and vent at the measly £90 a week people are expected to live on.

After our mortgage and bills are paid we aren't going to have anything left.

@allthegoodusernameshavegone

I am probably gonna be slammed to oblivion with this comment, but… do you not have back up for sickness, Anyone could get sick at anytime , your DP has been working since he was 12, has he not set aside some back up plan? I really don’t think we live in a sad country. I used to pay an insurance per month that would cover me when I was sick and I was earning less than your DP.

we used to have more money but put it all into a deposit and buying a house and doing it up. We used to have a lot more savings but we have spent a lot getting this house to a better standard plus emergency repairs!

We used to have more money when I was working which had been impossible for a while around DC's needs.

I'm completely with you. We have three children, two are classed as disabled. I'm unable to work as one is only in school around an hour a day.
Months ago my husband got cancer. We have suddenly dropped to him having no wages and he has now had the 28 weeks of SSP. He feels he is punished for being ill

@Thursdaymiami

Not trying to be goady. But why should the government pay for a shit workplace attitude. If I was your DH. I would obviously keep the job for now, but start looking for another one that’s doing what all normal places are, and paying proper sick pay. Also I agree upthread it sounds like something they cannot enforce. They can’t change contracts etc. If you’re sick you’re sick. But it’s probably not worth the energy going down that road

Absolutely. He's desperate to leave but cannot leave unless he has a job to go to first as cannot afford to not work. Unfortunately he doesn't have many qualifications or experience in much else.

@bigarse1

I'm completely with you. We have three children, two are classed as disabled. I'm unable to work as one is only in school around an hour a day. Months ago my husband got cancer. We have suddenly dropped to him having no wages and he has now had the 28 weeks of SSP. He feels he is punished for being ill

I am really sorry you are going through this. I feel awful for moaning as our situation isn't half as bad as yours. I hope your husband is doing okay! 💕

Do they have an HR department. He needs to get their written covid plan

Income protection insurance has a deferred period. Even if they had it, you set it up to kick in when your sick pay period runs out (e.g. mine used to be 6 weeks). It'd be no use if her DH normally has sick pay but not for covid.

Anyway, YANBU OP! I felt the same when I was made redundant 5 days before lockdown 1 and had to last on JSA for 3 months, until nurseries reopened and I could start work again.

It's ridiculous. That would only just cover our food bill, let alone bills, nursery fees etc!

@allthegoodusernameshavegone

Where do you suggest they get the money

Well they earn more than I do?

Do they have the same outgoings as you as well?

Don't spend money you don't have on Christmas.

am probably gonna be slammed to oblivion with this comment, but… do you not have back up for sickness, Anyone could get sick at anytime

You are clearly not living in the same world as lots of other people, who live month to month.

@CraftyGin

Don't spend money you don't have on Christmas.

Absolutely. Thankfully I've been sorted for DC's presents since October/November. Still have family to buy but hoping they will understand. My dc are the only children in the family so don't have any other children to buy for! It's the food, I'm worried about but w roughy not be able to smell or taste anyway 😅. Dp has lost his, I'm negative so far but convinced I'll catch it!

Are you sure the exclusion applies to actual Covid sickness and not just close contact isolation.

600 is a very good income that’s over 2000 month slightly overspending I think; and thats a fact that hurts. And I always get niggled when people say Christmas is coming what am I going to do it’s like you didn’t know it was coming, it comes every year same as a Monday, budgeting is called for here, people don’t like that word I’m afraid & then scream when such as the car goes down, it is very simple, and any advisor would tell them

2000 a month for a mortgage, bills, food and a car really isn't a lot.

@Hercisback

2000 a month for a mortgage, bills, food and a car really isn't a lot.

Still got to put a pound away for a rainy day, to be honest the S/p is derisory but it’s still although relatively small ..an income. how you spend it is your responsibility as said before it’s budgeting, we all remember what happened when the world stopped in 2020, hope people learn & not rely on third parties all the time, be thankful there is some sort of safety net however small

If he’s isolating and at home, can you quickly get a temporary job meanwhile to tide you over?

Not the governments fault here - but the fault of your dh's employer. You have savings, which is good because a lot of people dont. This is the time when those savings will be useful. When your dh is back at work, you can then build your savings up again.

@Livelovebehappy

Not the governments fault here - but the fault of your dh's employer. You have savings, which is good because a lot of people dont. This is the time when those savings will be useful. When your dh is back at work, you can then build your savings up again.

Unfortunately won't last long. We were saving £80 a month a while ago but now hardly anything so hopefully we'll be able to start saving again after Christmas! 🤦‍♀️

[quote Bee4229]@PinkAndPurpleClouds that must of been really hard. I feel like just 10 days of this will be damaging for us over Christmas and going into the new year. We've already had a tough year with lots of house repairs (bloody boiler and heating system!) and car issues! So I can only Imagine how hard that would have been for you!

I just hope his symptoms remain as mild as they have been and he'll be right as rain to go back late next week. It's very unmotivating for him though, not looking forward to going back.[/quote]
It was! I do sympathise, and I hope all is OK with you and your family.

@BluebelllsRosesDaffodills

If he’s isolating and at home, can you quickly get a temporary job meanwhile to tide you over?

That would be a great idea but I am convinced I'll still get it! I am double jabbed so don't have to isolate if negative but I've had a cough for days, I've had two negative pcrs with it so I assume just a coincidence I have a non covid cough at the same time as Dp having covid (kids have also had coughs and negative pcrs).

I need to find a part time job in the new year for sure. But I've been holding off for now because Dp's shift patterns are set to totally change after the new year ! So if I got a job around his current shifts, it would change again in the new year. His work like to do things like this. He's also looking at leaving but needs to find something else first! 😢

You should be able to get the self isolation payment, it's worth applying. Also, if you're repaying tax credits and are struggling, you can ask them to stop taking repayments until the new tax year. You just have to phone them, or talk to them through the online chat.

Needs to go through with sickness listed as with sick note. Businesses have an obligation to pay and claim the money back.

@mogsrus

600 is a very good income that’s over 2000 month slightly overspending I think; and thats a fact that hurts. And I always get niggled when people say Christmas is coming what am I going to do it’s like you didn’t know it was coming, it comes every year same as a Monday, budgeting is called for here, people don’t like that word I’m afraid & then scream when such as the car goes down, it is very simple, and any advisor would tell them

I don't think you make that assumption that we don't budget. It's £600 before tax btw. We are not over spending. We haven't had a holiday in years as budget won't stretch, neither of us go out socialising or drinking because we don't have the money to do so, we don't smoke or have any luxuries. I need a coat and can't afford it but I know my grandma will be giving me £100 for Christmas so I'll wait until then (very grateful for her). We have a car because we live in the middle of nowhere. Our bills are high. We live in the southwest which has the highest water rates in the country, our energy bill has increased by £40 pcm compared to last year, we have a mortgage. Plus all the other bills. Thankfully we aren't in much debt (only a very small amount and the mortgage obviously).

My kids are sorted for Christmas. Total non issue.

It's the food. We don't go out at all over Christmas to eat or drink or anything we always eat at home. In laws always invite us out for meals etc and we just can't do it. McDonald's every so often is about our limit.

@Amaya89

You should be able to get the self isolation payment, it's worth applying. Also, if you're repaying tax credits and are struggling, you can ask them to stop taking repayments until the new tax year. You just have to phone them, or talk to them through the online chat.

Didn't realise this, thank you! It was a struggle when it was cut. We are getting quite a bit more and suddenly it stopped!