Furlough until september

[Seesaw121]

Apparently the chansellor is being pushed to furlough until september.
Thoughts?

[UniversalAunt]

Just a few weeks ago, I lost count of how many callers I heard on radio phone-ins wailing that they could not live on £92 pw, how very dare they?

Well, plenty of people have to...

Clearly we are a nation that does not save for the proverbial rainy day.

[Motorina]

The reality is, for those businesses which cannot reopen, we either:

1. Furlough people
   
2. Support them through benefits
   
3. Allow them to starve.
   

1, expensive as it is, is the least damaging in the long run.

[userxx]

@Motorina Furlough indefinitely you mean?

[Thighmageddon]

Clearly we are a nation that does not save for the proverbial rainy day

what a comment, an ill judged comment.

[Foobydoo]

DH has been told he should be back on 14th May by his boss.
Home improvement type business.
His boss is just waiting on the info for ending stage one of lockdown to be released.
His company have put measures in place to ensure social distancing.
I think the majority who cannot work from home will start to go back soon, possibly with staggered hours.
Obviously some will not be allowed to go back and the furlough scheme should be extended for those people.

[Seesaw121]

@UniversalAunt these people on furlough have had no choice but to be furloughed. How can you expect these people to live on just over £90 a week when it is not their fault they are not going to work?

[Weallhavevalidopinions]

Maybe people who are moaning on furlough about the less money (not about being furloughed) might realise how difficult it is for people on benefits to live day to day. Perhaps a better understanding of those less fortunate.

I am lucky that my income is still the same since I am a keyworker however, maybe (hopefully) some will be more understanding of those at the bottom of the financial ladder/income scale...who knows!

[LilacTree1]

Newspapers seem to be quoting the RSA but their report doesn’t specify this?

www.thersa.org/about-us/media/2020/one-in-three-jobs-in-parts-of-britain-at-risk-due-to-covid-19-local-data-reveals

[Alsohuman]

Unemployed people have no choice. Freelancers and some self employed people have no choice. Yet they have to live on universal credit. I suspect a lot of people are going to become acquainted with the reality of life without a secure income over the coming months and years.

[Waxonwaxoff0]

I expect the people saying "furlough can't carry on" aren't in the industries that have been told to close by the government. I bet they'd be saying different if they were.

[ALovelyBitOfSquirrel]

Just a few weeks ago, I lost count of how many callers I heard on radio phone-ins wailing that they could not live on £92 pw, how very dare they?

Well, plenty of people have to...

And some don't. I couldn't live on that a day!

Who do you think pays for people that have to live off of benefits of whatever sort. The people that pay tax and NI of course!

[kirinm]

Businesses have asked for their to be support for longer because they can't afford to pay their staff. Horrible how some people refer to people on furlough. It doesn't cover 80% of someone's salary, it covers 80% up to £2500 gross.

If I had been furloughed I wouldn't be enjoying myself at home. I'd be paranoid about not being able to afford my bills and worrying whether I'd have a job to go back to.

[Alsohuman]

I expect the people saying "furlough can't carry on" aren't in the industries that have been told to close by the government. I bet they'd be saying different if they were

Of course they would. Vested interests always protect them. The fact remains that many of the people still at work are low paid key workers like supermarket staff, bin men and delivery drivers. It’s completely unfair and unrealistic to expect them to support furloughed workers on incomes higher than their wages.

[Ginqueen456]

I can't see it happening but I wonder how us with no childcare are supposed to go back to work if schools and childcare settings do not reopen to everyone or if family can't take care of them because house holds are still not able to mix. The company I work for is planning to reopen in 2 weeks and unless either of things I mentioned before are lifted then I can't go back to work. I am not eligible for benefits as my OH earns too much (we both work for the same company and he is higher up than me so it makes more sense for him to go back instead of me).

[Hadenoughfornow]

I would say some on here genuinely believe this will happen and that the government can print money as and when required.

I even saw someone mention that business manage to close for 2 weeks over Christmas so why can't they afford this.

Absolutely not sense of reality on MN.

I do think some workers could be furloughed long term. Pubs etc, concert venues, possibly leisure facilities cannot open any time soon.

But unless the government is stopping you from working, then no furlough probably after June.

[Peggysgettingcrazy]

No one is insisting that all furloughed workers are eager to go back but saying they are sitting at home doing nothing and queuing at B&Q is harsh and shitty. Most will be dealing with a 20% drop in their pay and worried somewhat about their employment future

No, most arent. Lots are fine with it because there outgoing costs are lower.

You cant say most are enjoying it or most are worrying.

Most people I know are grateful they have been furloughed and not working, for a whole range of reasons. Childcare, a break, being able to stay in more etc.

Either way, its not the person fault they are furloughed. Going to b&q isn't something to ashamed of. They are using their time, wisely. Why not?

[DreamChaser23]

Benefits - scroungers
Furlough - scroungers

You can never win someone will always find a way to perceive you as "lazy" though they don't understand your situation.

Honestly, UC defo needs to rise the amount is paltry. And furlough should also continue. We had money for bankers then we can have money for ordinary people who are in a situation through no fault of their own.

[YappityYapYap]

I don't understand how this situation can be compared to other situations where people become unemployed. In usual circumstances, that person has a job market to search for a job! In this situation, there is basically no job market, you can't even go for an interview at the moment. Your chance of getting a job to replace the one you've just been made redundant from is 0% right now! When I search indeed (before this) there's usually thousands of jobs. There was 3 on there last week and they were pyramid type jobs where you sell crap and get commission and have to pay for a 'starter package'. Obviously chancers on the look out for people that are desperate to work.


We can't have millions of people out of work at once and on 5 week waits for UC. It will cause a ripple effect of people not being able to pay for basic essentials therefor creating more poverty, larger businesses to fall into trouble (people not paying their energy bills, car loans etc) and then when UC isn't enough to cover their usual expenses from working all their lives, that continues long term until a job market opens up again.


Then you'd have all the people on here saying they are still on full pay doing X work at home being made redundant too because they have millions of less people able to meet their bills and expenses so those industries and jobs get into trouble as well. The government would then have to start bailing out companies in the millions and also have a very hefty UC bill to pay. What is the point of that when they can just do furlough and hope that more than half of the businesses survive and people are only temporarily fucked?

[Peggysgettingcrazy]

We didn't gave the money for the bankers. That was the bloody problem.

I dont know anyone who thinks furlough workers are scroungers.

Enjoying furlough leave and using the time wisely and being quite happy being furloughed, doesnt make someone a scrounger.

[whatisforteamum]

I haven't seen this anywhere about sept.TBH it is probably down to hospitality workers.I am not lazy having worked for over 31 years 36 if u count the child reading years.
I work well over 50 hours a week and have put by for a rainy day of course by living frugally and doing my own hair buying multi buys etc.Not really drinking smoking or going out.
However if the furlough scheme is extended because we cannot work then so be it.I have made my career my life so I am far from lazy and cannot work if the pub is shut.

[Alsohuman]

I haven’t seen any suggestion that people on furlough are scroungers. It can’t go on for ever though and it’s fundamentally unfair that some people are being subsidised to the tune of £2.5k pm while others who can’t work for exactly the same reason are getting £92 a week. Especially when it’s being paid for by low paid workers who are working their arses off to keep the wheels turning.

[Ylvamoon]

I hope not I bored shitless... except for some people who are clearly working in the entertainment & travel industry... if the government wants to keep certain sectors shut, they have to offer a solution to those business and employees.

[Devlesko]

I think some people will be, especially those that work in or rely on the Hospitality, leisure, T&T sectors.
I suppose if my furlough stops we could sell up, get something smaller and travel more in our van.

[kirinm]

@alsohuman it is unfair but that is a government decision made because they didn't really want to help self employed people either but had no choice. A lot of people fall through the gaps which is shit but if hundreds of thousands of people lose their job long term because the government has forced businesses to close, the benefit spend will be huge.

I don't think long term furlough is a good thing. I'm veering more towards the idea that we have to get back to some sort of normality with social distancing and deal with the consequences because the coming recession is going to be horrendous. And so so damaging for so many people.

[blubellsarebells]

Furlough must be cheaper than administering universal credit to millions of people all at once.
We need to eat and pay bills, the money needs to come from somewhere.
I would go back to work tomorrow if i could.