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Original poster

Friend said DH is abusing furlough

662 replies

amy198820 · 28/12/2020 17:09

DH been on furlough from 2 jobs since March (one full time job and one part time job he does one evening a week). He has been back to work on and off since the summer and is now on the flexi furlough scheme and both jobs have topped his pay to 100%. Since the tier 4 announcement he has been put back on furlough completely.

As tier 4 is looking like it will continue through Jan/Feb, and so unlikely he will be going back anytime soon DH had applied for another job to keep him busy rather than sit at home. DH found out before Christmas he has got the job and he has made this new employer aware that this job will just be a fill in whilst he is on furlough and the employer has accepted this and are happy to take him on. (its a friend of a friend type thing)

Spoke with my friend and earlier and told her about DH's new temporary position explaining that its better than him sitting at home all day /gives him something to do until all this passes etc. My friend took umbrage with this and said that we are abusing the system and that this isnt what the scheme was designed for. I didn't really know what to say and so said sorry she was offended and would speak to her later on.

For background before anyone says anything, I was not being insensitive, my friend has not suffered financially due to COVID as she has been working from home continuously throughout.

I want to call my friend back soon as to not let the bad feeling grow. How would you suggest I approach this? I do not think we are doing anything wrong, just trying to get through this pandemic and doing the best for our family as would anyone else.

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 28/12/2020 23:06

I do think people on long term furlough could volunteer to help elsewhere rather than taking state money and then more money working elsewhere.

SpaceRaiders · 28/12/2020 23:07

Single parents who get huge amounts from their ex?

Now I’ve seen it all! 😂😂😂😂

PlanDeRaccordement · 28/12/2020 23:07

@MaryLeeOnHigh

Unlikely it was even advertised for others to even have opportunity to apply because as OP said, the job was a “friend of a friend type thing” so he got the job because he’s mates with the hiring manager.

Terribly speculative. It could be he got the job because they couldn't find anyone else.

No more speculative than your assertion he must have been the best qualified of all the applicants and his wink wink friendship with the hiring manager had zero influence.

Honestly, you have to be terribly naive to think you actually have a meritocracy of a society.

Diddlysquatty · 28/12/2020 23:08

I do find it a bit weird this is allowed under the scheme.

PlanDeRaccordement · 28/12/2020 23:11

@Babyroobs
That’s my thought too. If you’re on 100% furlough from two jobs, why not volunteer for Covid relief in your community? Getting medication and food for the vulnerable for example? But no, their thought was as the OP so callously put earlier in the thread that they should “make hay while the sun shines”

As if 65,000 dead is a period where the sun shines.

PolloDePrimavera · 28/12/2020 23:12

A it's legal.
B is it morally ok? I say yes if he's in an industry which is currently precarious.
C the charity I work for aren't taking on volunteers as we are so limited with space due to social distancing.

Babyroobs · 28/12/2020 23:24

[quote PlanDeRaccordement]@Babyroobs
That’s my thought too. If you’re on 100% furlough from two jobs, why not volunteer for Covid relief in your community? Getting medication and food for the vulnerable for example? But no, their thought was as the OP so callously put earlier in the thread that they should “make hay while the sun shines”

As if 65,000 dead is a period where the sun shines.[/quote]
Exactly , but in any crisis there will always be people who exploit an already bad situation. In the coming months there will be huge demand for people to help with the vaccination programme, checking people in, basic admin work etc. During this past year I have seen so many people in my community pulling together in a time of crisis, from swing scrubs, delivering food to the elderly, sewing masks, delivering leaflets to offer help to people in isolation. These are people who also hold down full time jobs yet they do the extra work selflessly on top of their normal jobs.

WitchesGlove · 28/12/2020 23:27

@SpaceRaiders

Single parents who get huge amounts from their ex?

Now I’ve seen it all! 😂😂😂😂

Why is that so ridiculous?

Some peoples exes are high earners and yes, they actually pay it!

Not taken into account for the purpose of benefits, though.

WitchesGlove · 28/12/2020 23:31

@Babyroobs

I do think people on long term furlough could volunteer to help elsewhere rather than taking state money and then more money working elsewhere.
So could rich pensioners......
TerryHearn · 28/12/2020 23:34

Good luck laying traps. I won’t be falling into them. Not really sure what you are rambling on about anyway with regards to rich pensioners, disabled workers or single parents. Very odd.

PlanDeRaccordement · 28/12/2020 23:37

@WitchesGlove
Many rich pensioners DO volunteer
Many people on 100% furlough also volunteer- a few have said so on this very thread.

Are you seriously defending the OPs DH on the basis that there are equally selfish people out there? Because that’s a race to the bottom.

BubblyBarbara · 28/12/2020 23:38

So he is taking a job that could be taken by someone who has no income at all.

What a silly argument. I live alone and have five bedrooms (from when DH was alive and I had two DC at home) and have had similar "taking up a big home a growing family could live in instead" jibes from people and it's total nonsense. OP's DH getting a job does not mean someone else didn't get a job. Employment is not a zero sum game.

Thefeep · 28/12/2020 23:39

I’m gobsmacked this is even legal! What a crazy system, no wonder we are in so much shit 😡

WitchesGlove · 28/12/2020 23:44

[quote PlanDeRaccordement]@WitchesGlove
Many rich pensioners DO volunteer
Many people on 100% furlough also volunteer- a few have said so on this very thread.

Are you seriously defending the OPs DH on the basis that there are equally selfish people out there? Because that’s a race to the bottom.[/quote]
No, the point I’m making is why are the PPs so outraged about this, and not about the rich pensioners who selfishly claim a lot of money that they don’t need?

Money that could feed the poor? Fund schools? Help women in refuges?

Believe me, it’s a hell of a lot more money wasted on state pensions!

WitchesGlove · 28/12/2020 23:46

Babyroobs-

Do you also suggest that unemployed single parents and other such groups receiving benefits ‘volunteer’ their time? 🤔

Scbchl · 28/12/2020 23:46

Who gives a fuck what your friend or anyone on here thinks, he isnt doing anything legally wrong. His work are using the furlough scheme to support them to keep going as a business. It wasnt your husband who has chosen this. They are retaining their member of staff and in the meantime he has a temporary job to keep busy. Good for him.

PlanDeRaccordement · 28/12/2020 23:47

Employment is not a zero sum game.

Er, yes it is. There are not unlimited, infinite jobs. And in an economic crisis like this where several hundred thousand jobs have simply disappeared due to businesses closing down, there are not enough jobs compared to the number who are unemployed//in need of work.

hopingforonlychild · 28/12/2020 23:51

@BubblyBarbara i think the fact that 80% of the pay for the 2 jobs are paid for using tax payer monies is what the PP have issues with. He can have 8 jobs paying 100k each a la George Osborne, no one has an issue with that. Its the fact that there are limited public funds and the justification for the very expensive business of funding furlough was that we couldn't let people lose their homes overnight/be unable to pay their bills. That is fine. I accept that we can't let people with previously healthy incomes attempt to pay their mortgages and feed their children on the paltry sum that is provided by UC - not very doable if you have a big mortgage but as you are supposed to save 20% of income anyway, paying furloughed employees 80% would mean that most of them would be able to meet their obligations despite a global pandemic.

What I can't accept is that the government thought that we didn't have enough money to fund free school meals (before Rashford forced them to make a U turn) but thinks its perfectly fine to pay furlough monies to people who have already found new jobs and have additional salaries on top of furlough monies. Oh and thinks that they are perfectly justified in raising taxes for the rest of us after this pandemic is over at the same time. I might be persuaded that the tax rises are necessary as I don't want a whole lot of families getting evicted but this is ridiculolus. I am not blaming the OP 's husband for being resourceful and figuring out how to get 3 salaries but its ridiculous that we are paying 80% of the salaries for his first 2 jobs

PlanDeRaccordement · 28/12/2020 23:53

@WitchesGlove
Your point about rich pensioners is not a reflection of reality. Pensioners are still one of the top demographics that suffer high poverty rates. And their max £17k/yr income is half the max furlough income of £30k/yr. Not to mention the fact that there are far far fewer living people over pensioner age collecting pensions than are in the furloughed workforce.

In addition, no pensioner is collecting TWO state pensions simultaneously like the OPs DH is collecting TWO 100% state furlough payments simultaneously?

CoffeeCoffeeTea · 29/12/2020 00:02

Don’t blame the OP, her DP is not doing anything illegal and I’m sure he is not the only person doing this. Maybe attack the government for not putting more robust laws/rules in place.

SnowyZoey · 29/12/2020 00:09

He’s taking a job from someone who needs it more.

SnowyZoey · 29/12/2020 00:10

@BubblyBarbara

So he is taking a job that could be taken by someone who has no income at all.

What a silly argument. I live alone and have five bedrooms (from when DH was alive and I had two DC at home) and have had similar "taking up a big home a growing family could live in instead" jibes from people and it's total nonsense. OP's DH getting a job does not mean someone else didn't get a job. Employment is not a zero sum game.

This is literally how jobs work?!
SpaceRaiders · 29/12/2020 00:12

@WitchesGlove

I just can’t take you seriously. I don’t have the energy to counter your ignorant arguments.

Mycatisthebest · 29/12/2020 00:13

I find it greedy as well. Find it hard to believe he couldn't find any volunteer work so he doesn't sit at home.

Wornout12108 · 29/12/2020 00:15

OP I really can't stand this attitude
"We have both been tax payers for 15+ years, so have put in a lot more than taken out"
I really doubt that's true, and it is t a bank account to pay into and withdraw as you feel like it.
Have you not accessed health care in 15 years? Have you or any children not accessed education of any kind in 15 years?
Have you expected Police Fire and Ambulance to be at the end of the line if you dial 999 in those 15 years?
Have you driven on roads in those 15 years? Have you accessed any benefits in those 15 years? Have you used public services in 15 years? Have you visited the library or local swimming pool / gym? Have you used a train in the last 15 years. Have you noticed improvement, cleaning or repair to buildings, local environment and recreational areas?
This is a shitty attitude, you surely understand that taxes are not there solely to pay for benefits ?

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