To think that this is one of the first crisis to affect the MC more than the WC?

[Makinitrain]

Note; I'm not talking about actually getting Coronavirus but living and surviving in lockdown.
WC here so maybe I'm getting it wrong. My dd goes to school in a pretty affluent school in our city. I grew up not far away in a rough council estate. I have a mixture of both types of people on my SM.
WC seem to be either key workers or furloughed. Most are semi enjoying home schooling, lots have both parents home but aren't expected to still be doing work. Self employed are panicking but hope to be in receipt of government grants. Non WC's life haven't really changed except they don't have to do the school run. I'm noticing there's more kids walking in the countryside than usual, more family's going on bike rides.
MC (in my experience) usually have both parents doing full time, full on jobs, at present most are working from home. They also really value education so it's hurting them to have to use screens so much in order to work. Both parents stressed about the future, possible redundancies.
Obviously there are thousands of people that don't fit into these examples but could this be the first crisis in which having some money doesn't actually make things any easier?

Don't worry OP, after all this, the working class will be suitably thanked for their efforts as key workers by having their benefits slashed and taxes raised to pay for the poor middle classes who are getting paid more to sit at home. Really valued they are.

At least nobody can accuse the Tories if being anti-self-ID when so many of their supporters clearly self-ID as middle class

*of

We’re middle class. We just buggered off for an extra long holiday. No lockdown for us (or at least we’ve gone to a place where the restrictions are so minimal that our life is pretty much normal bar a lack of museum visits and coffees inside cafes, were only take away at the moment).

We are of course put out but the whole ‘homeschooling’ thing but to be honest we don’t buy into the school thing as much as some people and have been providing supplemental education to our children since long before this anyway. We’re not really stressed out about their education the way you seem to suggest, more just annoyed that the school wants us to participate in their stuff.

Having money (even if it’s only a little bit) definitely makes things easier.

A surefire way to bring about harsh benefits cuts is to talk about it as if it's an inevitability. That will be seized upon as acceptance.

It doesn't have to be benefits cut post pandemic. There are alternatives. How can they cut benefits further when they're already below survival rates for many?

The majority in receipt of benefits are working. They're also very often the frontline workers (healthcare workers, transport workers, carers, shop staff, delivery workers) who are currently bearing the brunt of Covid.

The pandemic has shone a light on health inequalities. And even those who don't care about others are suffering the knock on effects of this. Their staff are off sick for weeks or dying.

One reason welfare came about (aside from social reformists and unions campaigning) was far from altruistic. Leave people with absolutely nothing and they've little to lose. Crime rates and social unrest increase when there's less social security.

There are alternatives. Scrapping expensive white elephants like HS2 would save billions. We could also raise taxes to ensure we live in a civilised society where everybody including the vulnerable is ok.

What the hell is this bigoted, ignorant fuckery?

Wouldn't it be nice to try to find a way for EVERYONE to come out of this better. Not financially but in terms of caring, understanding we're all basically the same, blah blah etc.

Mmm I think this is a massive generalisation. I am too ill to work. Dh is furloughed on 80% as his company is making up the shortfall. We both have university education and definitely not WC. Therefore she has both parents atm albeit I definitely don’t count as a full person in terms of what I am able to do. Dd flatly refused to go to private school. I am now paying for a tutor, only an hour a week just to break up the tedium of online learning. We have a decent outside space and dd has a trampoline, space hopper, dogs to amuse herself and plays online games with her friends whilst chatting to them. All of these things would be unattainable to her if we didn’t have money.

They also really value education so it's hurting them to have to use screens so much in order to work. Both parents stressed about the future, possible redundancies

OP are you okay? Has the virus caused your judgement to skew, or have you always had such negative, ill-informed, and uneducated thoughts on class?

This just another goady post. Anyone who genuinely thinks that working class people are less affected by this (especially given the sectors first to close) is mad!

If you want to put it into your simple terms, I am middle class, DP is working class.

DP is doing all the homeschooling, I am not doing any of it, not because I don't care but because I can't get my brain round some of it.

We both hate DS using screens but at the moment, its what is keeping us all sane. DP is not working at the moment.

Apart from DP and DS being here, my life has changed very little, yet I am the one struggling the most.

And what I am really looking forward to is the news in 6 months time to see exactly how this government are going to screw me and my family to pay for this shitfest that this womblecunt of a government have created.

maybe some of the working class has rubbed off on me

Are key worker jobs not 'full on'?

Speak for yourself.

I'm working class, yes I'm currently on furlough but that doesn't mean my job is safe. I work for a small family business and it might not come through this. If I lose my job then it will be hell trying to get another one, I've got no qualifications so can only do low paid jobs and everyone and his dog will be applying for those at the moment.

I'm a single parent stuck in a flat with DS. I've got no other adult to help me or to talk to. We've got no garden to enjoy. And despite your assumption that us working class don't care about our children's education, I do care, and since I did crap at school myself I'm no substitute for a teacher. DS is one of the youngest in his class and behind his peers in some things so I am very concerned that he will fall even more behind.

@Lazingonasunnyafternoon20 it will get worse for those on UC because there will be inflation after this. Things will become more expensive. And not a chance in hell will UC increase in line.

Totally agree OP. My WC friends are loving lockdown and my MC ones are just as you describe.

Morr people in poorer areas have died.
The health crisis might have 'peaked' although its still got a long way to go. The economic one has gardly started.

I would say the opposite OP.

Looking at my own situation and workplace - most of the lower paid support staff have been furloughed but the higher earners (the ones that bring in the money, solicitors) have not and are all working from home. Speaking to one regularly- she cannot afford the loss to her salary, she was living month to month as it was and now she also has increased food bills too as she cannot visit several supermarkets for the cheapest offers (I know my food bills have shot up). She is also fearful that she might not get her job back, she is right to worry as I know management see these roles as dispensable - they have actually seen that if we use our IT systems properly we do not need as many staff. WFH has made us change the way we work.
As for home schooling - at DS's school some of the learning requires two screens! One for the live Zoom call and the other to do the reading/ work set. We are fortunate that we have a laptop and iPad (plus all the home working IT equipment) but I am not sure whether many households do. We also have boxes of paper and craft supplies, a colour printer all stocked up etc. My DC go to a private school - their online learning provision has been excellent and I do not fear that my DC will be hugely behind where they would have been.
Having a bit of money makes this whole situation so much easier.

@Waxonwaxoff0

I have sent you a PM x

I also disagree. There are more MC that WC with large houses and (large) gardens. Two of my cousins have employed a private teacher who helps with the schoolwork with the kids in turns through zoom so the mothers can get on with their work more easily (in the same room to keep an eye on the kids listening to her). I think that WC will have less options due to less money flow.

From people I know personally, there doesn't seem to be much relationship between class and how well people are coping. It's more random luck - ie, I live in a flat with a 3m old baby and a preschooler so you'd expect me to be mega stressed but I'm basically fine because dh is wfh so I have company, and there are 2 big parks for walks 10 mins away (1 in each direction).

If we'd lived in our old flat I'd probably be quite stressed as there was only one field in walking distance rather than nice parks with trees etc and we were on the 1st floor rather than the ground floor so I'd worry more about keeping DS1 quiet.

Lots of WC are on the front line in key worker roles at risk of catching it and passing on to family. I’m on min wage and at risk every day plus having to leave my children to get on with school work without me even being home to help.

Ok it was late when I wrote this so may not have articulated myself fully. I also don't know many high earners so my definition of MC is probably WC to some.

Some examples from people I know. Mum is a hairdresser (employed, furloughed) dad fits stairlifts (employed, furloughed) spend long days in the garden, bike rides, doing a bit of school but not feeling loads of pressure as dc's are small. Homeowners, taking a mortgage break.

Mum is on UC, not currently working, rents two bed house, expenses haven't gone up or down, life carrying on as usual except for not being able to see family or friends (which would be the same for anyone of any class.)

DP is retail worker (furloughed) I am an NHS worker, DP can stay home whilst I work. He does a bit of homeschooling but neither of us are stressing out too much as keeping everyone sane is more important. We're genuinely having quite a nice time. Home owners but haven't had to take a holiday as I'm still earning and working overtime to cover costs.

Whilst MC parents are trying to work from home (which they might do usually but not usually with a WFH partner and two children thrown into the mix.)
I was trying to explain how throwing money at this problem is unlikely to help, you can't get a nanny or a cleaner at this time.
Again just observations so not saying that everyone fits into these examples.

Just echoing what PP are saying about outside space, which has been so important to many during this.

Imagine living in a small flat, with no garden and young children. Most parks etc are closed. It would be awful. If they are furloughed, when the scheme ends their jobs are not guaranteed - if the company is struggling they may well be made redundant (I’m thinking hotel / restaurant staff etc). That is a hell of a lot of uncertainty and worry.

MC here and have the benefit of DH wfh, and I am only very part time anyway. Enough money to buy bits online to have fun at home with DD (3).

I am well aware how lucky we are and how hard it must be for others.

Why does everyone have this image of WC all living in flats? That maybe true in London but nearly everyone else in the U.K. most people I know live in houses. I live in a pretty big council estate in the SW and I can only think of one big high rise block of flats in a five mile radius. People are generally only there very temporarily, my mate was there two months before they found her a house.

Most WC I know are home owners or private renters, WC not non WC.

Well seeing as all work is online you're screwed if you don't have laptop / printer / decent internet. So children without those are disadvantaged.

I'm still wfh full time - very busy. Both boys education is suffering as I don't have time to closely supervise them. Flip side is no worries about money. Plus we can throw money at the problem ie tutors later if we had to.

And benefit cuts will be brutal and lots of low paid jobs will not re-emerge. Once furlough ends people are screwed.