Aibu to ask why we should bother?

[Blossomspring]

Lots of threads on here about people not taking CV seriously and I’m just not sure I get it.

How can you expect people to take it seriously when the government does not impose a proper lockdown?

Also lots of people sitting in judgement of those still trying to work, keep businesses open who haven’t been covered by the government’s income protection. How can you sit in judgement of people who might lose everything, who are being forced to choose between their health and their families as well as others and earning a wage to survive? Another sign the gov aren’t taking it seriously or allowing people to take it seriously.

If you want people to self isolate to protect themselves and others then you need to provide them with the income to do that and also force people to stay at home.

Im self employed and have now lost 6 months worth of work. Most people in my sector saying there won’t be work now for months. None of us covered by the measures announced yesterday. My death and even that Of my family’s is of less concern to me than not being able to survive and losing everything. It might be an unpopular view to publicly say but it’s not an unreal view.

You can only die once even if it is miserable and sometimes life is worse than death.

As long as my income isn’t protected and I’m forced to choose I will keep going out to try and find work and move around.

I get where you're coming from. I'm freelance and my work has just dried up overnight. I've spent the morning googling jobs at supermarkets.
Me, my DH and DD have all been ill this week (I think it's CV) so hopefully once we're out of quarantine I can go and stack some shelves without spreading it around

I think measures for self employed will be announced next week.

In the meantime though @blossom you can take a holiday from mortgage, cant be evicted or cut off from water, gas or electricity and can get uc. Surely that could tide you over for a month or two, rather than risk your life?

Chin up, you can get through this!

DamnYouAutoCarrot like I said I don’t expect it be popular or for most to agree with me. I’m saying it because it’s how I feel and there will be others in the same position being forced to choose and doing so.

Just because you think it stinks doesn’t make it any less real. If the gov had allowed mass scale unemployment to happen there would be many others doing the same thing. Doesn’t help when you’re in the minority but doesn’t make it any less real.

Thank you madroid. That really made me smile. I will cheer up! It just seems like such a slog and the hypocrisy of capitalism and ultra individualism - feels like I should just embrace it. Sigh.

I actually agree with you op. Dp and I are self employed, we are not huge earners. The amount the government will pay us won't even cover half my bills. I will keep working until I'm forced to close. Do works 2 jobs and his part time job is now classed as key worker, thanks God.
What's going to happen after this? If so many people have been made redundant, or losing their lively hood, how will the country cope with the volume of benifit claims, and applications for social housing, when people lose their homes?

The chances that you will personally suffer from the virus not only that you will get it, but be in the small percentage of people who get very sick or die are rather low, and uncertain.

The chances that your family will suffer if you have no income, no government help, cannot buy food or pay rent, are very high, and certain.

So it is not surprising that people are more worried about the latter. The government could change this calculus by going even further to reassure people with new measures.

So if you want to be angry with anyone, be angry at the government and not individuals.

Jus a thought... but I’m actively choosing not to use businesses who aren’t bringing in measures to halt this. The ones who will stay open at all costs

Us too. We won’t be using them after this all ends either.

I get this. It's a lot easier for some to self isolate than others. It's no good pretending we have an equal playing field.

@longwayoff do you believe your response to someone struggling is helpful?
(Or even makes you feel better about the situation?)

Op- I can understand where you’re coming from, statistically speaking financial hardship is a certainty whereas death from covid-19 is a possibility.
Ultimately though, financial hardship is recoverable from.

The government have been announcing new financial measures this week, and nothing they’ve said indicates they will not make further support available in the days to come- everyone (every country) is making this up as they go, reacting to change as it happens.

It is always scary to not know what’s happening, but as much as you can try to take it one day at a time- don’t try and solve tomorrow’s problems today (and I’m totally guilty of doing this too!)

I say this as a self-funded unemployed person (bad timing for a career break to travel lol!) whose industry has already stopped recruiting. Panicking about future rent won’t help today, but it will definitely make it worse for me.

Should have saved for a rainy day. Maybe now you will take seriously the financial advice to save up an emergency fund that can cover a minimum of 6months living expenses.

Your chances of earning a living if you stay at home: 0%
Your chances of dying if you don't stay at home: 1% (without knowing your age/medical history)

Saving for a rainy day is all well and good for people with disposable income

Lol Plan. Do you think that too of PAYE workers? Should they be given 80% of wages when they should have saved for a rainy day?

Also what society are you in that you think people earn enough for that?

I am self employed, have had to close my business. It is awful. But you know what would be worse. Wondering if I spread around a virus and killed someone.

Where is the government going to get the money from though? To support so many people/businesses/the NHS- how much money does the UK have, and if many people have to stop working the tax revenues will go down- they will not have the reserves to draw on? I am sure it is way more complex than that but I am worried that as well as individuals losing all their money the country will too and then there will be nothing to bail us out with!

Should have saved for a rainy day. Maybe now you will take seriously the financial advice to save up an emergency fund that can cover a minimum of 6months living expenses.

That is a horrible comment, there are loads of reasons why people may not have that amount of savings.

You put my life ato risk and my family and friends fucking hell what don't people get. stay at home I lost all my income as of Monday that's my job and business I have had to claim jsa I have been homeless before and I would lose everything a 1000 times over as long as my family is safe you are very selfish op

There will surely be those who will lose their jobs & won't be helped at all won't there?

Pre emptive shutting down of businesses that the government will help out-fine for them.

Not so fine for the businesses that deal with them & won't be helped.

@dreamingbohemian
Good post.
@blossomspring
I understand you. The gap is ever present. I hope the government brings in something to help the self employed, in the meantime take care of yourself. We will come through this.

The government could start by getting massive businesses to pay tax for a start.
Few billion right there.

You would rather your family die? Wow, you are very sick and I am so glad I am not related to you in anyway. What a horrible thread.

The government have protected wages. There are also jobs being given out by supermarkets everyday now. If you are that concerned then go and get one of those jobs. You sound like you just want everything your own way, really not the attitude to have at a time like this

I’m comfortably off so not in your unfortunate position but I have had a child die and can honestly say six years on I will never ever fully recover.

It is such a difficult situation and I don’t think you’re totally unreasonable. I want my dad to live a long and healthy life, but equally I don’t want my family to lose their livelihoods and furies. I would prefer a couple of months of Chinese style full lockdown to really stop this.

I wholeheartedly support you OP. It reminds me of a documentary I watched a while ago about people fleeing the war in Ukraine and settling in the abandoned villages near Chernobyl despite the area still being radioactive and dangerous to their health. Yet it was safe. Their justification was that they would die anyway. If they stayed in the warzone, almost certainly and soon. If they moved to Chernobyl, they would stay alive for much longer.
For many people losing their livelihood is imminent and certain, dying of CV is a possibility. That's why it is important to ensure that as many people as possible have some money coming in so they can stay home.

Yanbu, I understand your viewpoint. The mortality rate of this virus is very low and mostly affects people who are very old with underlying health problems. Of course there will be exceptions.

But recession and loss of work will affect many more much harder than the virus.