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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Covid poverty

43 replies

Justanotherquestioner · 09/10/2021 14:15

I'm devastated. I applied for the £500 covid payment. Self employed. My 3 and 4 year old had covid. Dh was bedridden with covid for 5 days. I worked one of those days but then needed to look after the children. I've just been rejected for the covid payment. I'm devastated. I now don't have money for groceries this week until I get my tax credits on Thursday. It's crazy. They said dh was home so I should have worked. He was the most poorly I've seen him

OP posts:
bunnybuggs · 09/10/2021 15:35

I don't see that 4 days looking after your own children qualifies for £500 of tax-payer funded government money. There are rules for the payments being made and unfortunately you fell outside the criteria.

Overthebow · 09/10/2021 15:42

Yes I agree with @bunnybuggs. What would you usually do when both DC and DH are ill?

PurpleDaisies · 09/10/2021 15:49

I get that it’s frustrating. Try and shake it off and make a plan to get through until pay day.

Mindymomo · 09/10/2021 15:55

Have you been able to apply for any of the self employed grants.

Yogawankonobi · 09/10/2021 15:55

Do you have any food at all?
Being destitute after 4 days is quite unusual.

Katie517 · 09/10/2021 16:11

Sorry but I agree with the other posters, what would you have done if this situation had arisen in 2019 for example with neurovirus or flu? It’s not the governments responsibility to pay you to look after your children if you are ill. You should be budgeting to account for such situations and it seems odd that you have no food at all after such a short amount of time!

traumatisednoodle · 09/10/2021 16:13

You have a 3 and 4 year old so must have a health visitor ask for a referral to a food bank ?

myheartskippedabeat · 09/10/2021 16:14

£500
For 4 days off

Are you serious?? As another poster said what do you usually do when family members are poorly????

And

"Waiting until you get tax credits" (more tax payers money!!!)

I'm sorry but there will be people in a lot worse situation than this and if you can't plan or budget properly it's not anyone else's fault

MNHQ
YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet · 09/10/2021 16:19

Hello everyone.

We've had a number of reports from people concerned about this thread so, as we usually do in these circs, we're putting our heads round the door with some important reminders.

Right now we can't see any evidence to indicate that the OP isn't above board – if we did, we'd remove the thread straight away. But the truth is that, sadly, we at MNHQ can't know with 100% certainty that any poster is genuine, no matter who they are or how long they have been here. As frustrating as it is, we're not able to vouch for anyone here.

So we always ask users to remember that not everyone on the internet is who they say they are – and remind folk not to give more to another poster, either financially (in cash or gifts) or emotionally (in time or care and support) than they'd be prepared to lose if things went wrong. We strongly advise against parting with any cash or giving away your personal details, and if you receive a PM which makes you uneasy - report it to us and we’ll take a look.

Sorry to hijack your thread briefly there, OP – we really hope you get it all sorted soon. In the meantime, you might find some useful information on our guide for dealing with financial difficulty

alreadytaken · 09/10/2021 17:27

Would your husband normally work - if so maybe he should have applied for the payment. Look up the Olio ap and any community larder near you or too good to go scheme. Get a food bank referral. Ask family for an early Christmas gift or a loan.

After 18 months of covid surely everyone should have plans for this now.

Brindle88 · 09/10/2021 18:11

Citizens Advice can often do food bank referrals

TheDrsDocMartens · 09/10/2021 18:18

@alreadytaken

Would your husband normally work - if so maybe he should have applied for the payment. Look up the Olio ap and any community larder near you or too good to go scheme. Get a food bank referral. Ask family for an early Christmas gift or a loan.

After 18 months of covid surely everyone should have plans for this now.

After 18 months a lot of self employed people have ran out of savings & safety nets. 3 million people didn’t get any government support and many are self employed because that’s how their profession works, lots of work in normal times but covid changed that and although work comes back , the safety net has gone.
Gingerkittykat · 09/10/2021 18:18

Is there any right of appeal on the covid payment?

Ignore the horrible comments, some people obviously can't see why a family with both adults unable to work for a while would end up in financial hardship.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 09/10/2021 18:36

Do neither of you not get sick pay from your jobs? Surely the supply teaching isn’t self employed, just the tutoring. No student loan this term if your DH is a student?

BlanketPiggy · 09/10/2021 19:08

Sounds very tricky if you haven't been able to work because of it. Was there any paperwork or anything you can catch up on?

Weseylady · 09/10/2021 19:33

It seems to me that being ill for a few days is normal part of family life. I.think that it seems very odd to.expect the gov.to.step in re this. When has all this become dependant onntaxpayers money.?

Original poster
Justanotherquestioner · 09/10/2021 19:34

4 days isn't the difference between money and no money but we are now at the end of our credit line. Our credit cards are maxed and we are out of cash. Fact of reality.

18m ago we weren't in this position but covid has screwed things for us.

I really don't understand why I'm being reported?

Dh has had his student loan delayed for reasons unknown and we are both self employed. No sick pay, no holiday pay. We've not taken a single covid payment ever. Initially dh was having to pay rent on a room that he was unable to use but as it was a new business we didn't qualify for any support. That's fine. We didn't complain.

This past week has just driven us over the edge.

OP posts:
Kummerspeck · 09/10/2021 19:38

Does your DH work? If he is employed he would be paid for the time off so you would be losing your pay for those days, which is annoying, but shouldn't leave you in such dire straits

BlanketPiggy · 09/10/2021 19:39

Do you have any income due in? Don't really know your job but is it like retail? Or any jobs lined up? If you know it's coming in a mate might buy you some tins if you can pay them back? Or try the food bank?

BlanketPiggy · 09/10/2021 19:40

If you've got anything you can sell on ebay you could get it up today on a 1 day listing as Sunday is popular time.

PurpleDaisies · 09/10/2021 20:31

What have you got in the house for eating? The food board would be a great place to post for help making what you’ve got stretch a few days.

alreadytaken · 09/10/2021 20:47

After 18 months a lot of previously self employed peope have taken other jobs to pay the bills. If you cant do your normal job you find another. And while student loans can be incompetent phoning them usually works, certainly they should explain the holdup.

Universities also have hardship funds.

Original poster
Justanotherquestioner · 09/10/2021 21:04

We had lentil and onion curry tonight with rice which was super yummy.

I'm very fortunate that we have a roof over our head and food in our bellies. There's some flour in the cupboard, beans, butter. We have stuff but the panic hit earlier.

Student loan is delayed by the uni. Their admin as awful. Dh sent an email several days ago to nudge them.

We have some weights that dh can sell. I'll suggest to him that he does that tomorrow and will get the kids out of his hair so he can take pics, etc.

Dh ended up having the kids and studying during lockdown as I couldn't work and have the kids due to the nature of my job.

I feel calmer now. I'm going to make peanut butter porridge with water and cinnamon for breakfast tomorrow

OP posts:
Dailywalk · 09/10/2021 21:08

Agree with this poster. I have no suggestions only sympathy for you. It’s not easy being self employed. There’s no sick pay, no pension and no safety nets.
You ‘phone in sick’ or your kids are ill then you’re stuffed.
OP may well have had little or no income for some periods of the last18m. It’s ridiculous today she should have prepared for this.

QuestionEverythingBaby · 09/10/2021 21:09

Well then you probably didn't need the covid payment, you have food and you'll just have to scrape by until pay day, like plenty of other people. Chin up.

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