Breaking rules to pay the bills...

[wheresmymojo]

We've stuck to the rules all the way through however we're going to have to break the rules in this lockdown because the alternative is that we can't pay our mortgage/bills/for food.

Just wondering if anyone else is in the same position?

Depends what rules you are breaking

It will be hard for people to “stay at home” if they lose their homes.

Husband continuing to do 121 personal training in our garage.

No judgement from me, if the schemes out there don’t cover you then you have to put your family first.

They are extending mortgage holidays for another 6 months, but if with benefits you are unable to pay bills and for food you don't have much choice

No judgment from me

@IcedLimes

They are extending mortgage holidays for another 6 months, but if with benefits you are unable to pay bills and for food you don't have much choice

Are they?

I haven't heard this...where did you hear about this?

Both me & DH lost our jobs, all savings now gone, our mortgage alone is £1600 a month without bills!

Mortgage holidays are capped at six months (just googled)
"
Those who have had their payments deferred already, can extend their mortgage holiday until they reach the six-month limit."

We've already had six months

One to one personal training is still allowed if it's outdoors so can he use a park instead?

I guess you don't have any mortgage protection insurance?

No judgement from me either OP. You don’t have a choice really do you.

@arewethere

I guess you don't have any mortgage protection insurance?

Nope.

We wouldn't have qualified anyway as we're both self employed and we'd have had to have closed our businesses to qualify I think?

Whereas both businesses are viable when we're not locked down.

DH just opened his 121 training facility using a small bounce back loan to convert our garage.

It opened last week

@HelpMeh

One to one personal training is still allowed if it's outdoors so can he use a park instead?

We tried this in the last lockdown. The council wouldn't allow it and they own the open land here.

No judgement from me. Unfortunately its possible you could get reported by neighbours etc I'd try and be as cautious as possible for that reason

We'll be doing it with the garage door fully open...so it's not entirely indoors.

But yeah...it sucks.

Even with this I'm not sure we'll make it beyond our tax bill in December without bankruptcy TBH.

I wouldn't judge anyone for that, but as a PP says he could do it outdoors when weather permits and that's within guidelines (on the off chance someone petty tries to report or whatever).

OP could he do zoom PT? This has really taken off for our trainer. Myself and 4 friends have group session every morning and I love it

You're allowed to meet one person outside for exercise, could he do some sessions under that 'allowance'?

I'm not in that position YET. I could well be made redundant, and despite spending a lot of time thinking about it, I still have NO idea what I'll do.

My mortgage isn't as big as yours, but I live alone, so only me for ALL the bloody bills.

I hope that most people would try to get by within the rules & with benefits/grants/loans etc as well as cutting costs as much as possible, but if you have no other option... as long as they don't involve breaking rules like going out when you have symptoms or have tested positive etc then I think he won't be the only one

But try to find all the various types of help available first.

Most importantly do it as safely as he can. GOOD ventilation and cleaning of equipment.

Look after yourselves

Just had a thought.
Why hasn't there been a campaign to ensure that, instead of furlough type schemes, we restore the safety net - so everybody has enough to live on. Including all the many people who lost their jobs or got sick before the pandemic. Also through no fault of their own.

There's clearly a public acknowledgement, shown by this thread and all the others like it, that the current benefits system is not fit for purpose.

I would hope that this would be a £10,000 fine type of thing as it is essentially a business refusing to shut. You cannot expect customers (who will look at the service provider for advice) to continue to receive a service that is against the law and puts them at risk of being personally fined. He will have to look at either training outside or over zoom as every other personal trainer has done.

X posted with the world & his dog, & a couple of your posts.

The Council can't stop him exercising with one friend on the open land, he might just have to dial down the vocal PT stuff a bit.

Having the garage door open will be good for ventilation, but what are your neighbours like? Likely to report you?

@arewethere

I guess you don't have any mortgage protection insurance?

Not everyone can get this or even afford it as an extra. I’m uninsurable due to previous medical condition- that can’t be helped. My husband has it but the payment alone for me was nearly 30% of our monthly mortgage payment and exempt if I was to be ill with my condition.

If he can do it safely and you’ve exhausted all other avenues. I really feel for you and others in this position :(

I’m with you op do what you need to do. @StatisticalSense I take it you’re in a great position? Have some empathy.

Luckily I'm not in this position, but I think people in it are one of the reasons we'll never keep it under control with the current measures. And I have nothing but understanding and sympathy for anyone in that situation, because many self employed, those that can't afford to self isolate etc simply don't have any choice, and I don't blame them for putting their own basic needs above those of random strangers.

Anyone that sees fit to judge is welcome to donate their home and income to others so they can stay at home, but until they are willing to do so they don't have any right to expect you or anyone else to make that sacrifice.

@WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants

You're allowed to meet one person outside for exercise, could he do some sessions under that 'allowance'?

I'm not in that position YET. I could well be made redundant, and despite spending a lot of time thinking about it, I still have NO idea what I'll do.

My mortgage isn't as big as yours, but I live alone, so only me for ALL the bloody bills.

I hope that most people would try to get by within the rules & with benefits/grants/loans etc as well as cutting costs as much as possible, but if you have no other option... as long as they don't involve breaking rules like going out when you have symptoms or have tested positive etc then I think he won't be the only one

But try to find all the various types of help available first.

Most importantly do it as safely as he can. GOOD ventilation and cleaning of equipment.

Look after yourselves

Believe me - we've looked at everything available.

The max. support we can get is to both furlough ourselves and claim 80% of our salaries paid to us as Directors which amounts to £1100.

We didn't become limited companies for any kind of tax benefit but because our previous clientele demanded it.

We've cut everything - the only things we have going out are debts, mortgage, council tax, food, insurance, utilities and Netflix.

Netflix is only a small amount each month and we've kept it as we've cut Sky & tv licence so we don't have any other access to TV.

We've both set up new businesses over lockdown and worked our arses off but DH's income is dependent on face to face training (it doesn't translate to the kind of training that can be done on Zoom) and my income from my new business is completely inconsistent

We've already told everyone we can't do Christmas at all this year

We've cut things I thought I would never, ever cut like pet insurance