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Coronavirus - how is it/has it affected you?

Kellfire said:
Jobs available is much fewer than those unemployed.
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Indeed. A quick Google would suggest there are 1 million more people unemployed than there are jobs.

But, according to Google there are 656 thousand vacancies currently in the UK.

That is an awful lot of jobs that need filling for those who want to work.

I struggle to understand why someone would stay on UC if there is the opportunity of work. Even if the work may not be in the sector someone would prefer to work in.
 
drdel said:
We seem to have forgotten that June 21st was only a "Not before..." target date depending on the prevailing conditions and prior to the rise in cases due to the Delta variant.

Anybody making plans based on the 21st should have also made a robust contingency strategy.
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Absolutely bang on the money. It’s only the gutter press who have dubbed June 21 “Freedom Day”, totally irresponsibly. But they have been woefully irresponsible since early 2020.

If we have to wait another month is that really such a big deal?
 
Billysboots said:
Absolutely bang on the money. It’s only the gutter press who have dubbed June 21 “Freedom Day”, totally irresponsibly. But they have been woefully irresponsible since early 2020.

If we have to wait another month is that really such a big deal?
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It could be a very big deal if it resulted in me not earning, not paying my rent - again - and being evicted. I am not saying there shouldn't be an extension - but don't imagine it's no big deal for everyone.

Also it was back late February (22nd?) our PM described his unlocking plan as a "one-way road to freedom". He also said he could not guarantee it would be irreversible "but the intention is that it should be". Unfortunately some anti-lockdown libertarian newspapers picked up on that and started referring to 21st June as Freedom Day - I guess with the intention of forcing his hand.

I just want to see and hear some accountability being accepted for this most likely extension - it needn't have happened. And it will hurt many.
 
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SwingsitlikeHogan said:
Yup - that's just the way to make those whose life is very hard suffer even more and feel even worse about their circumstances. But it's an idea.. Tell you what though - life on UC is not a bed of roses...in fact it's already really difficult - as you'd expect it to be.
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It's not about making people feel worse. If it's that bad on UC then go and find a job, any job, even minimum wage will pay a lot more than UC. And then when a job does come up in the chosen sector how much better will it look on the cv if the applicant can show they went out and stood on their own two feet during the tough times rather than sit back and let the state take care of them?
 
Billysboots said:
Absolutely bang on the money. It’s only the gutter press who have dubbed June 21 “Freedom Day”, totally irresponsibly. But they have been woefully irresponsible since early 2020.

If we have to wait another month is that really such a big deal?
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Whilst I agree the delay shouldn't be a big deal in reality eviction protection is gone,
SaintHacker said:
It's not about making people feel worse. If it's that bad on UC then go and find a job, any job, even minimum wage will pay a lot more than UC. And then when a job does come up in the chosen sector how much better will it look on the cv if the applicant can show they went out and stood on their own two feet during the tough times rather than sit back and let the state take care of them?
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What happens when their is more people needing the jobs than jobs available
 
Billysboots said:
Absolutely bang on the money. It’s only the gutter press who have dubbed June 21 “Freedom Day”, totally irresponsibly. But they have been woefully irresponsible since early 2020.

If we have to wait another month is that really such a big deal?
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Trouble with waiting a month is that there will be another variant and SAGE will want to study that data as well.

Variants will continue to appear in other countries and they will, eventually, make their way here, there is nothing we can do to stop that.

All the most vulnerable have been double vaxxed or at least had the opportunity. These accounted for 99% of deaths and 80% of severe hospitalisations. It’s time to open up. If they want to keep masks on indoors whilst moving around then so be it but everything else should be up and running.
 
road2ruin said:
Trouble with waiting a month is that there will be another variant and SAGE will want to study that data as well.

Variants will continue to appear in other countries and they will, eventually, make their way here, there is nothing we can do to stop that.

All the most vulnerable have been double vaxxed or at least had the opportunity. These accounted for 99% of deaths and 80% of severe hospitalisations. It’s time to open up. If they want to keep masks on indoors whilst moving around then so be it but everything else should be up and running.
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The Indian variant appears to be a big deal, but only amongst those not vaccinated. If another month buys time to really ramp up the vaccination program then it’s perhaps a reasonable call. But there has to be a limit to the restrictions as they are.

When it comes to the likelihood of further variants I totally agree. As one of the many experts suggested a few days ago we can’t keep bolting down a rabbit hole every time a new variant emerges or we’ll be in this mess for ever more.
 
pauldj42 said:
Are you sure on this one? Surely it’s the employers decision when they end furlough.

All the people I know on furlough were either given a date or have a date when to return to work.
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Is the right answer ?

If the employer can show that their place of work has been risk assessed and deemed safe then the employee is required to return. If they don't then..............
 
pauljames87 said:
Whilst I agree the delay shouldn't be a big deal in reality eviction protection is gone,


What happens when their is more people needing the jobs than jobs available
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This has been the case for a very long time. And I suspect it will always be the case. As I said above. There are 657k vacancies in the UK right now.

In my opinion there is no excuse for someone who is able to work, to not work and claim benefits just because they can't find something they like.

If I was employing someone and had two roughly equal candidates. If one had worked any job, and the other had just claimed benefits in between roles. I know which I would employ.
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
As mentioned...it’s easy to be principled and support holding as we are if I am have steady income; am in stable employment, or on furlough. There are very many who are not so fortunate. A 4 week slippage of Freedom Day could be very damaging for some, as long as that is recognised.
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Oooh have you picked up a role in the mainstream media since retirement ???
 
BiMGuy said:
This has been the case for a very long time. And I suspect it will always be the case. As I said above. There are 657k vacancies in the UK right now.

In my opinion there is no excuse for someone who is able to work, to not work and claim benefits just because they can't find something they like.

If I was employing someone and had two roughly equal candidates. If one had worked any job, and the other had just claimed benefits in between roles. I know which I would employ.
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Which is the standard in life.. hire the most experienced.. yet how can people get experience? Especially if more unemployed than jobs
 
SwingsitlikeHogan said:
It could be a very big deal if it resulted in me not earning, not paying my rent - again - and being evicted. I am not saying there shouldn't be an extension - but don't imagine it's no big deal for everyone.

Also it was back late February (22nd?) our PM described his unlocking plan as a "one-way road to freedom". He also said he could not guarantee it would be irreversible "but the intention is that it should be". Unfortunately some anti-lockdown libertarian newspapers picked up on that and started referring to 21st June as Freedom Day - I guess with the intention of forcing his hand.

I just want to see and hear some accountability being accepted for this most likely extension - it needn't have happened. And it will hurt many.
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Come on, why do you think there is a need for an extension, and who is responsible.
How do you bring a large section of the populace to account, or are you suggesting, as I think you are, that it is not the fault of the muppets not SD or getting vaccinated, but some 'body ', authority- I,e euphemisms for
a group which cannot be mentioned , but is headed by a recent bridegroom?
 
Swinglowandslow said:
Come on, why do you think there is a need for an extension, and who is responsible.
How do you bring a large section of the populace to account, or are you suggesting, as I think you are, that it is not the fault of the muppets not SD or getting vaccinated, but some 'body ', authority- I,e euphemisms for
a group which cannot be mentioned , but is headed by a recent bridegroom?
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Clearly there are both personal responsibilities and governmental responsibilities. To a certain extent, one can compensate for the other. If the population was all very socially responsible and followed voluntary advice religiously, no compulsion would be needed, and the other way round.

However, there are copious examples that the population is not very socially responsible and getting even less so.

Setting up 21st June as a line in the sand was a mistake. However many asterisks were added in official documents, these do not reach the average punter. If the criteria were defined, as they had been before, in terms of the trend in hospitalisations, and/or certain vaccination targets, that may have encouraged more compliance, but as we have seen before, an end of term feeling sets in as we approach these dates, and that risks prolonging it all longer than necessary.
 
18th May no new cases, yesterday 7,958. Unfortunately, for me pushing the date back is the correct thing to do.
 
SaintHacker said:
But its not about cases, cases dont matter if all anyone gets is an annoying cough, hospitalisation is the key number
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Yes, but if someone gets an annoying cough, they may put someone else in hospital. If you stop that someone getting the cough, you also stop the other person ending in hospital. Hence the need to maintain controls on transmissibility.
 
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