How has your life/income/job been impacted?

[moomoobaabaa]

Hi
Interested to hear about how COVID has impacted your household income and working hours.

I'll go first:
Myself and DH are both WFH on full pay, trying to fit full time hours in around a 2 year old. We are managing but it's tough and having to work weird hours with barely any time to relax, as we are either on duty with the 2 year old or working. DS usually goes to private nursery but he is obviously now home with us.

Health wise we have been mildly unwell for a couple of weeks - coughs, sore throats, some gastro issues, blocked sinuses etc. Basically had a virus of some sorts but no idea if it is corona or another virus.

I feel incredibly lucky that we can WFH for a long period of time if needed.

The news is focussed on the medical side of things, numbers in hospital etc. I thought it would be interesting to hear how lives/incomes are being impacted.

Embarrassingly not at all apart from social isolation from family. We are both retired on occupational pensions, not on state pensions for a few more years.

@BMW6 that's great! It's good that it isn't all doom and gloom for everyone. I hadn't thought about those on annuities, but yes you will be pretty sheltered from it!

Just no childcare. But fortunately my jobs were around school and husbands hours. So with a bit of tweeking, we've managed.

And double fortunately I don't have any littlies. I couldn't imagine what it would be like dealing with little kids.

DH flat out trying to get in as much work as possible (WFH full time, US clients mostly) before everything goes tits up.

I'm adapting my classes for online and teaching my kids via hangouts on my fucking Kindle.

Meanwhile our 8yo who loves socialising and athletics, is climbing the fucking walls. We're in Spain in a flat, no balcony, no terrace, not allowed out. Thank God we have a dog as DH and I can take turns to leave the house, one morning one evening, to stretch our legs. I've never been happier to pick up crap!

It's the end of week 3, lockdown has just been extended until 26th April.

For those of you with gardens and the possibility of going for a walk YOU DON'T KNOW YOU'RE BORN

Husband lost his job 3 weeks ago. No pay since (he's paid weekly) Still waiting for confirmation as to whether or not he's being furloughed (won't know til end of April) In the meantime, trying to apply for UC.

I'm self employed. Lost about half my income overnight. Again, can apply for the grant, but because I was only just setting up 3 years ago, its amounts to about a third of what I have been earning.

So in summary, badly affected. IF the mortgage break gets approved, we will have £50 a week to live on. After that, we will be minus £800 a month before we even get started.

VERY scary times. Genuinely feel ill with stress about it. 2 small kids to support as well.

I’m self employed and unable to work so I’m not earning. Dh is working full time from home so our bills will be covered thank goodness. Just hoping the company he works for survives this going forward.
We have a toddler who keeps me busy and I’m newly pregnant so very anxious.
Struggling with the lack of freedom.

DH isn't working because work have declared him shielded. So he's on full pay at home. He's also doing all of the child care, home schooling and house work. DC are both off school.

I'm still in work, had leave this week. I'm still having to carry on as normal in that regard.

Half of my family are self isolating because of age and preexisting illness. Due it logistics (I'm the nearest), I am probably actually traveling more than I ever did delivering shopping and prescriptions for them all. This is the hardest part along with not being able to see my family.

We are relatively secure, so I'm not going to moan about things. But I am pissed off about it all.

DH is a self employed handyman and therefore currently unemployed. I’m working from home and busier than I ever remember but I’m sure that will change at some point.

DH and I are WFH and salary remains as is. Our DS will miss his SATs but really hoping he can get back to school before year ends. He’s not really being educated. Teacher sets work each day and in between meetings, I’m up and down stairs to nag him to do the work. I’ve struggled with effects of constant wfh... bad back from sitting on bad chair; dry sore eyes and put on weight from eating too much. I’ll be glad when it’s over. No idea why some people like working at home! DH and I hate it.

For me directly life has gone back to pre March bar me doing all the housework. I went back to work at the start of March 3 weeks later the entire office was working from home.
DH was working from home 2 weeks ago and then was furloughed at the start of last week, so he's looking after ds full time while I work (much easier than both of us trying to entertain ds while working full time, that was a really hard week, I feel your pain op)
He's started doing more house work, but I still do all the cooking, food shopping and washing as he can't cook, has asthma fairly bad and sorting washing confuses him 🙈 not a big deal when he's doing everything else.

Income wise he works for a pretty big company who are paying the 20% short fall the government aren't. My income is back up to what it was pre maternity, we no nursary fees, no gym fees, we've had notification the car loan has been suspended and our mortgage company have sent a letter offering a mortgage holiday. So we're going to save and pay chucks off later in the year.

Life wise, we aren't seeing family and I really miss my parents and am face thinking them and my brother who is in New York quite often, I had gotten used to seeing my mum most days over the last year so this sucks. DH is on the phone to his parents almost daily which is new for him, but his grandad has moved in with them after having half a lung removed in February, so he has extra worries.

It's hard but as dh said earlier, ds is almost 9 months, we're both home to witness a shed load of firsts, he started crawling on our first week home, pulling himself up on furniture today and it sounds like he is starting to say the dogs name.

Nothing for us. We both worked from home anyway and DD is still very young and not in childcare. We are all well, jobs and income unchanged, life much as usual, just more time in garden than going out. We are very fortunate, and I remind myself of that every day and hope it stays this way.

I'm freelance and a large part of my work (but not all) is from home anyway. Work's definitely quiet at the moment. All the out-of-home work has dried up, of course. My biggest and most lucrative annual contract has been cancelled this year due to logistics being impossible in this climate.

Small bits of work are trickling in, but I've realised I'm spinning them out to make them last so I don't feel lost.

Income wise same - we're both working from home, but not spending £ on take away lunch/coffee. Lifestyle - dh is doing all the cooking (but he does get the study while I get the living room). Job - same but meetings now involve saying hello to random 3 year olds periodically....

Single mum, self employed. Lost all income instantly. Luckily had a bit of savings but not enough to last 3 months.

both WFH and managing 4 school age children but feel very aware how lucky we are to have jobs.

A close relative has died and I am not allowed to go to their funeral.

I am deeply worried for my mum who is 60 but nursing on the front line.

I know so many people who are struggling with much more than we are.

I'm not earning anything at all my job just came to an abrupt halt. Still awaiting the furlogh money , they say it could be may until I get anything. My husband is self employed. Again he ismy doing any work at all. If it wasn't for my mum we wouldn't be eating

We are both WFH but one child is not in school Currently and have a 2 year old, our nanny still wants to work so have her to help although tracking that situation.

Just worried about the future economy and really want this government to get the antibody test ASAP to get as many as possible back out to work.

I was made redundant the Wednesday before lockdown started, and am waiting for redundancy/notice pay. DH works from home anyway so we are fortunate that way. I went back to work in October after having our son, who is 17 months. His nursery is closed. So it's basically like mat leave, but without going out or seeing anyone, and I was struggling at the end of my year off as it was.

Otherwise we are managing on video calls to our families, 1 walk a day, and using the garden but I am alternating between feeling content that I am in a position to look after DS, sad and scared all the time.

I live alone, 32, no children

Been Furloughed this week, haven’t been at work for nearly 2 weeks, work in a school so unlikely to be back until June at the earliest (furlough is taking me to June.
Work are topping up the Furlough pay so I’m getting 90% of my salary. A significant enough drop for me to be careful, but on the other hand I have nothing to spend money on - nowhere is open! And no need to pay for transport to anywhere

So life has changed in that I am now not seeing anyone. Apart from an overnight that I returned from yesterday as my sis went into labour so I was emergency care for my niece (of which I now have 2, yay! Not that I can see them now for a long time)

The job is hanging over my head but for now I’m safe. That’s a change

But aside from not working, income drop, no more overtime pay (I did after school wrap around care 3 times a week plus some extra tutoring so an even bigger income drop technically) the biggest thing is having no human contact bar the supermarket staff.

My canoe club is cancelled, most of my friends are too far away to conveniently bump into while out for a walk or bike ride (which I’ve only done a couple of anyway because I want to keep safe) so it’s just me, starting to go a bit crazy at times. Some days I’m really productive, I’ve had a huge clear out, started painting my bathroom, done a ton of gardening. Some days I’ve been lazy. Some days I’ve been sad. I’m not volunteering right now as I need to stay healthy as my cousin is also due a baby and I’m again the safest person to look after her son. So I have to stay healthy before that happens.

So quite a big emotional impact but I don’t feel I have much to complain about in the grand scheme of things. It could be much worse as others are experiencing

DH been out of work for 5 months. Offered part time key worker job to start last week but had to decline due to DC with SN having vulnerable child place in school withdrawn. We are therefore £2k a month down on where we could have been and we totally need it having had 5 months of only my salary. I am working ft from home. One DC has severe learning difficulties, non/verbal etc. Really struggling. Other DC is year 10. Am worried about her GCSEs. Just feel totally stressed with trying to work in demanding job and support DH with DC. But, we’re all well, our parents are well and we have to be grateful for that.

DH and I are both working and we have a 5 year old and 2 year old. I'm working mostly mornings, sometimes from home and sometimes I have to go into work. At lunchtime I stop to look after DC and DH works until about 7.30. We put the kids to bed then do chores and more work if necessary.

I'm only managing about 75% of my normal hours (normally work 4 days per wwwk), but thankfully my employer is understanding. However, they are reducing our hours pay from beginning of May anyway. Money will be tighter but at least juggling childcare will be a little bit easier.

I really feel for single parents and those with keyworker spouses who are having to work and look after little kids by themselves. It must be incredibly hard. I hope that the government recognises this at some point. Its almost incomprehensible how differently this has affected people's lives: some are rushed off their feet at work, or at home due to simultaneously working. Others are doing a bit of work from home and twiddling their thumbs the rest of the time. And others still have had their income decimated.

^^should have said that the DC are coping remarkably well with everything. I think they will get bored eventually, but have managed quite well so far.

Single parent, daughters GCSEs cancelled and all the end activities, 35% pay cut and reduced hours, one family member lost to CV and another likely before the end of the weekend, currently waiting for the call, so pretty bloody shite.

I've quite liked it. I'm disabled and so spend a lot of time on my own at home through the week - and now I have my teenagers around through the day and they're surprisingly good company.

Worried for dh though, he's a GP and so far hasn't been exposed to it much as they are consulting y phone mainly, but as things worsen he'll be exposed more, and he has asthma.

I’m due my first baby (today!) after 3 painful years trying to conceive and ivf we are delighted. However never thought i would be going to hospital on my own to be induced and no DH until I’m ready to push. I never thought that my family would not be able to meet my baby either or not be have to have the support from them.