Husband being made redundant

[letsnotscaretheneighbours]

My husband is a Chef. He has been put on notice of redundancy. He finds out on Friday. If he loses his job we will be £1100 short on our bills every month. I feel sick, and very stressed.

If my business completes (I work in property) then I get commission but its the wrong time of year and covid so I'm frightened we're going to struggle hugely.

Plus he has 3 children he supports and I don't want that contribution to stop, but it is significant and I don't know how I'm going to cover that, our mortgage, all the bills and eat 😭

He has already started applying for jobs (he was told Friday, and started applying Friday) but who knows what will happen in a covid Christmas.

Think I just need someone to tell me it'll be ok and to breath.

I have no advice but wanted to let you know you're not alone. My husband is a chef also who got made redundant last week. He works away so came home yesterday. I don't know what we're going to do.

@Alittlebitofthis its rubbish isn't it? My husband is really stressing out which isn't helping me when I'm trying to be calm outwardly and panic inwardly 🤣

He is applying for anything outside the industry. He loves what he does but now he feels its too precarious to stay in. Shame really because he's good at what he does.

It is. To make matters worse, my husband told me yesterday that he's got himself £40.000 into Debt gambling. I'm so angry with him.
My husband is the same. Will do anything for work but there's just no jobs!

@Alittlebitofthis oh no, such a hard place to be in. If I can lend an ear anytime don't hesitate x

Thank you! Same to you.

Sorry to hear about the redundancies. As you are in this section your need to look at what benefits you or OH may be entitled to. New style JSA would not be affected by any savings or income that you have as it is based on national insurance. Then you can look at other benefits. Maybe try a benefit calculator - as a couple might get universal credit. (If you are on benefits already do check whether you are better to stay on them - as OH working would have been tax credits).
Links below for citizens advice are for England, you can change the country
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/benefits-introduction/what-benefits-can-i-get/

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/help-if-on-a-low-income/jobseekers-allowance-jsa/

Sorry that sounds rude I meant as you have posted in this section I’m responding about money

Its great that you’re concerned about him supporting his kids, that’s a credit to you!

But if a parent doesn’t have a job and can’t find one (totally understandable in this current climate) then they can’t continue to support their kids financially to the same level.

He can’t give it if he doesn’t have it don’t beat yourself up.

@Bagadverts not rude. I appreciate the help. He is hoping to get something (anything - in 30 years of working age hes never been without a job). Looked at the entitled to website yesterday and he can get jsa as you say but I earn too much for anything else, which is fine, we just need to figure out how to cut our cloth.

@Pumpertrumper thank you. I know that in reality, just feel shit we're going to have to put a stop to it on Christmas, and at that a Covid Christmas! I naively thought we'd come through this ok, now I'm not sure how we'll fair!

I just wanted to chip in to give you a virtual hug. This virus has turned the world upside down and lots of things just don't make sense anymore!

My amazing sister is a chef - hardworking and so talented. All through our adult lives she has been the one who has always had secure work and found great new jobs easily. I work in corporate communications and have been the one to struggle through recessions and cutbacks as marketing and comms are always the depts that are trimmed first - Ive been retrenched twice and often only managed to work on contracts or freelance. Food always seemed super safe as we all need to eat, right? . ..suddenly all this is reversed - she's on reduced pay and facing retrenchment, and suddenly I cant get through all the work as corporates suddenly need to communicate with a remote workforce. I dont expect this to be a long lasting boom as once the panic and all the 'focus on our people' virtue signalling dies down, it will go back to a 'kind of priority'. But I am also living through this fear and uncertainty in my own work and with my sister, and just wanted to say, hang in there xxx If youre a chef then ten to one youre hard working, resilient, adaptable and have amazing skills. lets hope the economy starts a fast recovery, really soon!!

@letsnotscaretheneighbours

I’d recommend he lets his ex know the situation ASAP and they can put a plan in place to try and limit the impact on the kids. I’m hoping it’s an amicable situation where ex will understand he can’t give what he doesn’t have.

If the kids are young it might not be a shambles of a Christmas, lots of cheap toys available at places like B&M and they’ll no doubt be oblivious. Bit harder to hide if the kids are older.

I think anyone who has a partner/ex/ is in any way financially reliant on someone in the hospitality industry probably knew this was a possibility. It’s decimated an entire sector!

I’m so sorry this has happened to you.

Would also apply for a mortgage holiday ASAP if you havn’t already x

@Pumpertrumper thankfully we had already bought the kids presents because we thought we'd better order early this year (youngest is 8).

Can't really take a mortgage holiday unfortunately because I work in finance and my 'fit and proper' test needs to show it as being paid in full so in reality I need to cull the budget in other areas. Tbf we can probably drop the food bill by £200 per month. Can get rid of his income protection (no income to protect) which is £65 per month. His child support is £500 per month. Whilst I don't want to not pay that there isn't much else to cut. Normally pay the credit card off in full. Not sure whether to do a 0% and balance transfer and keep some cash aside, mind if I do that I potentially shoot myself in the foot if it takes a long time for him to find work.

Also worried about him getting depressed because he is not used to not working.

@Pumpertrumper sorry should add that I agree, although knowing her probably better to wait when we know for certain because she's a bigger stress head than I am 🤣

Just want to get out of this with the roof still over my head and having not gone hungry!

I know we might be better off than most, and I have been here before but not during a pandemic.

Can’t he claim on his income protection?

@BobsKnobs income protection doesn't cover redundancy, only accident and illness sadly.

@Lobelia123 thank you. Virtual hug gratefully received.

If he is not working and therefore stopping paying CM could he at least offer to have the children more whilst he is out of work? You have my sympathy - my partner has also been made redundant. Thankfully I can cover the bills but that's about it at the moment.

@letsnotscaretheneighbours

Not sure the practicalities of this but if he’s not actually been made redundant yet could he not get himself signed off with depression (or similar MH stress...etc) and claim on his income protection?

His employer may be willing to hold off making him formally redundant if he’s not being paid by them. I would find it very hard to swallow him having paid £65 per month income protection just to lose his job and be told ‘we don’t cover that’

Would his employers not consider putting him on furlough until March?

Then he gets 80% salary paid by the furlough scheme and is still allowed to do other work if he can find some.

@bigvig he could but I think we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there.

@Pumpertrumper I had that thought as I was typing it but its a small company and I think it'll be dealt with by the end of the week regardless if he's signed off or not.

I think I just need to come to terms with it and look at our budget monthly to cut back - thank goodness I have an excel sheet with our bills on!

Also...

Run all your insurances and utility bills through comparethemarket to see if you can get them cheaper.

Would a mortgage holiday that's been agreed with the bank impact your "fit and proper status"? It's not as though you're just missing payments? I would double check this as it's an obvious way to buy yourself some leeway for a few months.

Best of luck.

How long has he worked in his current role? Will he be getting any redundancy pay?

@Sunshinegirl82 I've got a meeting with my boss and compliance today so I will double check but I think it'll show on the credit file as mortgage arrears.

Please tell his ex.
She only has two pay days till Xmas if paid monthly and she needs to know so can budget.