To think there will be a divide after covid?

[MiaMarshmallows]

For example DP has saved tons of money and is looking forward to spending but for myself and others, we have lost jobs, income and will be feeling the effects of this for a long time to come.
Does anyone else feel there will be resentment when we see all the wealthy and those who have done well out of covid, having a brilliant time while everyone else struggles to get by?

Even those who have done okay so far should be careful. I don’t think there are many jobs which are really ‘safe’ so hopefully consumption will happen but won’t be too conspicuous!

I’m also going to agree with @Waxonwaxoff0 (for the first time in months) but there is no way the lower paid, key workers should be made to fund those who are struggling. I hope they do enjoy spending their money after putting themselves at risk.

@BarbaraofKent

He doesn't sound like much of a 'DP' if he is 'looking forward' to spending his money whilst his partner struggles?

Well, they don't live together and don't have joint finances, so I think calling him 'partner' is a bit of a stretch tbh.

not really touched the UMC or upper class (who could afford to weather the storm and may have actually well done out of it). So it's just exposing our class system again. Which is much more significant and inflexible than most people like to pretend it is.

Good point, I think I read that the house market boom was largely driven by those further up the ladder.

There has always been divides in this country, rich/poor, north/south etc etc

This is simply one more

I reckon 50% if the working class people I know have lost their jobs, or are about to. Many have had covid, long covid or lost loved ones. Lots of domestic violence, PTSD, depression. Many working very long hours and burnt out from extra commitments (caring, home learning etc). I also know a few people who are going to end up well off out of it, through hard work and entrepreneurial- mindedness. But have sacrificed a lot and would trade any career or financial advancements in for their friends and family members who have suffered. Too many relationship breakdowns to count, many after many, many years.

Me and Dh and my friends and their Dps all were on about the same salary until covid. One friend has stayed the same as she was. Two friends have had salary INCREASES during covid and I constantly hear about how much money they're saving each month. They've both embarked on huge house extensions, which I hear about daily, bought new cars and have booked several large holidays from 2022. They keep moaning about how hard it is to get windows since Brexit and 'I can't decide on marble or granite for the new kitchen what do you think?' .
Meanwhile my job has gone from 'paid' to 'volunteer' (not paid) and DH has had a huge pay cut so staff could keep their jobs. We're struggling and had to take a mortgage holiday to get through 2021. I'm glad you're getting a new kitchen, but I'm more worried about keeping food on our table than helping pick out your new counter tops.
So yes I see a divide between my friends that wasn't there before.

It's only rich people who have gained! If you couldn't afford holidays and loads of meals out before then you aren't gaining that money from not spending it.

Honestly it's this kind of thing that does my head in - DH's bosses were going on about how much everyone has saved by not going on 4 holidays a year don't you know how much people are paid in your company, to see that one holiday would be a stretch let alone four??

And we are lucky - DH's job has been very stable. I can't get any work, but I wasn't working before so we're just struggling as much as ever rather than more.

@lolulop

they have also pretty much not spent the last year working in very difficult circumstances, not in effect having been in holiday mode, gardening, decorating, enjoying the sun pretty much for the entire lockdowns and longer.

I did all these things whilst I worked. Were the furloughed supposed to sit crying staring at a wall?

Then why should we feel sorry if this year tables have reversed on them.?

But actually, you're in the minority of those who worked and had that ability as many of us, were juggling working and homeschooling, with limited down time.

The furloughed didn’t choose to be furloughed.
As someone who had to take a 20% pay cut just to keep my job, worked 12 hour days, hasn’t had any annual leave since last March and has had to homeschool on top, yes on the face of it it looks like being furloughed would have been a more pleasant choice.
But those who were didn’t choose it. It’s not their fault that my year has been shit.

Why am I the minority? Im pretty representative of people I know. I homeschooled & worked. But I'm not f/t & still had weekends. Plus not everyone has dc.

Then why should we feel sorry if this year tables have reversed on them.?

I don't understand this logic, do you think it was a choice? What should they have done?

But those who were didn’t choose it. It’s not their fault that my year has been shit.

Exactly

Let me just say. Just because I don't live with my partner or share bills with him that doesn't make us any less of a couple than anyone else. 🙄 logistics are forcing us apart, nothing else. We ate the strongest couple I know.

I don't begrudge DP his success this year, he works so hard. But he is an example of someone who has done extremely well out of this. Yet I have seen others lose their livelihoods, lose hours therefore income and whose jobs could still be unstable when the support runs out.
I just feel the divide will become more commonplace then ever in the months and years to come.

I think OP that you are saying that from the perspective who used to be fairly comfortable but are now seeing some financial hardship.
People who have always been in financial hardship have always been aware of the huge divide.
Maybe it’s opened your eyes a bit.

@MiaMarshmallows

I just think it will become more prominent as the months go by and the restrictions ease. People who have kept their well paid and secure jobs as well as kept healthy/not lost anyone to covid is very lucky.

"Well paid" and "secure" are not at all the same thing! And there certainly is no correlation between "well paid", "secure" and "kept healthy" or "not lost anyone".

To be honest, you are coming across as rather bitter. Not sure about why, but taking it out on those that you think are doing better than you won't make your situation any better. There have always been "divisions" between have's and have-not's - what people have or don't have is the only real question. As you have claimed (whether it is true or not is a different matter) your DP "deserves" his success and his high income. That's lovely. Does that mean that other people who also work hard deserve their low income? Income has never really had any relationship to what people deserve, has it?

Yes, some people will feel the adverse economic effects of the pandemic for a long time to come. But in a way, if it hadn't been this it would have been something else. Divisions is, regrettably, a part of our society. What I find more interesting is how many people who previously thought it would never happen to them, who were happy to talk about benefit scroungers etc., are all suddenly very much aware of the fact that benefits don't pay the bills. Interesting that benefit levels are more than enough for people to live on and the taxpayer shouldn't be expected to pay for people who aren't working; but the minute it's "us" we need furloughs and 80% of our wages or we can't survive.

What I wonder is if anyone will remember the hardship of living on 80% of one's wage, or of losing one's job, and care about how people with next to nothing live all the time, and not just now.

DP is your partner? Shouldn't their money be family money? Are you legally married to them?

We have no kids and both earn 50k+ and have worked from home.

So in many ways this year has been easier for us. But in other ways harder.

We have a friend on flexi furlough who's getting 96% of his pay for working four days a week whilst my husband is working overtime and I'm battling against long covid fatigue.

My sister is a teacher and enjoys the reduced strain of zoom.

My friend has redone her whole house as she is flexi furloughed.

Our next door neighbour sees his parents regularly in a childcare bubble and has a support bubble too, whilst we haven't seen our families for months.

As a couple, we can isolate entirely and wfh, and so can my parents, but we aren't allowed to bubble with them.

I'm not complaining about my lot, but it seems bloody unfair to get flack for it. I've tried to spend constructively, not saving money but supporting local businesses to keep them afloat, and have exercised my spending power as a business the same way. I'm happy to be taxed a bit more since I can afford it.

But I'd rather not be placed on the side of yet another polarised divide designed to distract us from the real villains. I've noticed a few posters have exacerbated this debate in the last few days.

It's the new leave vs remain. Win vs lose in the pandemic. But unlike the referendum, I didn't even get to pick my side.

DH's bosses were going on about how much everyone has saved by not going on 4 holidays a year

Aye, our bosses have been saying the same. Lots of talk about buying campervans instead, oh the novelty of roughing it, in a vehicle that costs tens of thousands of pounds ffs.

I mean, these people know what they're paying us, right? So why are they saying such stupid shit?

We need people to go out spending ( when it's allowed ) to boost the economy. Our situation hasn't changed much, we've saved on things like kids annual bus passes to college, and commuting costs but have spent more on food with 6 almost adults being home.
I'm very worried about my 2 children who are now young adults and them trying to find jobs in the next few years and resigned that we may need to help them out more financially.

@Kokeshi123

DP is your partner? Shouldn't their money be family money? Are you legally married to them?

No, they're not married, no tied finances, don't live together.

@MiaMarshmallows

Let me just say. Just because I don't live with my partner or share bills with him that doesn't make us any less of a couple than anyone else. 🙄 logistics are forcing us apart, nothing else. We ate the strongest couple I know.

I don't begrudge DP his success this year, he works so hard. But he is an example of someone who has done extremely well out of this. Yet I have seen others lose their livelihoods, lose hours therefore income and whose jobs could still be unstable when the support runs out.
I just feel the divide will become more commonplace then ever in the months and years to come.

So strong, that you are already anticipating the resentment you'll feel for him because COVID hasn't ruined him financially?

The furloughed didn’t choose to be furloughed

Not all of them, no - but surely you didn't miss the endless threads asking "Can I apply to cover childcare"?

Then there's the double dipping my LA's doing, with countless staff furloughed and none of them likely to lose their jobs because they have a no redundancy policy

Yes furlough can be difficult, but it's certainly not always unwelcome

@Puzzledandpissedoff

The furloughed didn’t choose to be furloughed

Not all of them, no - but surely you didn't miss the endless threads asking "Can I apply to cover childcare"?

Then there's the double dipping my LA's doing, with countless staff furloughed and none of them likely to lose their jobs because they have a no redundancy policy

Yes furlough can be difficult, but it's certainly not always unwelcome

Well yeah... if you haven’t got any childcare then for some, applying for furlough was sensible. Not sure why people would be criticised for that? It’s irrelevant whether it’s welcome or unwelcome. Honestly furlough would have been far far preferable to the situation I’ve been in for the past year, but what’s the point in blaming people for a situation they have little control over? The bitterness won’t change the situation.

@ChocOrange1

There have always been people who were well off And people on the breadline. It's only now that some well off people have become poor that they care to notice how unfair our society is.

Yes, yes, yes! 👏👏👏

Ain’t that the truth?

There was a divide before the pandemic, I just think it has increased. There will be a new addition, those who will work from home most or all of the time long term who did not do so beforehand, and those who cannot or who could be given the option but micro-managers or bullies do not agree to it.

@PenisBeakerIsMyFavouriteMuppet

I’m one of the lucky ones this time round. Secure job that allows me to WFH, no salary cut, saving money on commute etc. Exact same scenario for DH.

But we weren’t so lucky during the last financial crash. I lost my job, DH’s salary was halved; we nearly lost our home and had literally no extras for years.

Swings and roundabouts, really.

Could have written this myself 2008 I lost my job and had to take one at half the pay ... partner was out of work for a year we REALLY struggled !