Are you watching the Prime Minister speaking live on news channels?

DH and I both said that Sunak will be the next Tory leader/PM.

However, that's probably ruled him out as I predicted with confidence that Boris would never become PM


#notpythia

lemongrove what do you suppose people on zero hours contracts do when off sick? They starve. Actually they don't they roll into work in any state because otherwise they do starve. So she will have to apply for sick pay do you imagine it will come through on the day she applies? Really some people live in cloud cuckoo land!

They don’t starve trisher and it all depends as some zero hours contracts do have arrangements with the employer, others don’t so if off sick and almost destitute ( how many are in that position?) can apply for help, in the first instance from their local authority.
It will be hard times for some in these cases, but don’t over egg the pudding by saying people will starve.

I know people who do work but can only afford to buy things on a weekly basis and are struggling because of empty shelves in supermarkets. One friend said she can't afford to waste petrol driving to a shop and then not get what she needs. It reminds me of when I was a young mother and we were so poor I sometimes checked down the side of the sofa/coat pockets etc trying to find a bit of extra money.

Because of course you KNOW they won't lemon ! Just as I suppose no one with disabilities died under the Tory government? So the sick pay will be delivered to those who fear they have covoid 19 and are self isolating, who can't afford to heat their houses, pay their mortgage or feed themselves?

Let them eat cake....

The big issue are the self employed. They have nothing to fall back on.

Undoubtedly some will be on very lucrative contracts and so should be cushioned for a short time if their income stops, but there are a very large level of those folk classed as self employed on a very low income level, such that prohibits their ability to save for a rainy day.

Nothing has yet been done for these folk to help over the weeks wait for UC and almost certainly there are insufficient staff to deal with what will be an overwhelming level of claim.

So I think to say that people may go hungry is not an exaggeration. We know that people go hungry now, that is why there are food banks.

The usual prejudices coming to the fore I see!

trisher it’s either 7 days at home if you think you have the virus or 14 days if somebody in the household has it.
That’s if people are honest about it, a lot won’t be if their symptoms are mild.
Of course nobody will be posting sick pay through their front door ...it will be paid into their accounts. Accessing the money
Means drawing it out at a quiet time of day or night.
Talking to their local authority at this time, foodbanks, community help etc as well as friends and neighbours will make sure nobody starves to death, this is not the 19th
century.

this is not the 19th century...
...tell that to people sleeping on the streets/living in hostels. Do you have no compassion?
...oh, and, by the way, what are you actually doing to help people at the moment?

Nobody has said it would be easy...this virus is unusual, and times are unusual, but why do some posters think that anyone, particularly those with children will either starve or go hungry?
The most anyone with the virus has to be off work is 14 days,
And if anyone needs help with money they have to seek help,
Which the government is promising will be there.

Typical remark from you Labaik still being personal even when we are living through difficult and worrying times for us older people.
Try being objective and not using the thread as a political battering ram.

If the polarised tone of this discussion reflects the way the rest of the country is thinking, heaven help us all.

We always contribute to our local food bank. At the supermarket a few days ago we bought extras of the goods identified as needed.. When we went to deposit them in the boxes, it was obvious that other shoppers were also contributing more than usual. We've also decided to set up a monthly payment for the next 3 months which we'll review if things settle down.
Once the schools close, vulnerable families will face periods of time confined together with no free school meal.

I can only assume that posters who believe that sickness pay or universal credit will automatically kick in, have no direct experiences of using the benefits system.

And if anyone needs help with money they have to seek help

if?

Yes iam64

We see teachers on the television worried about the children in their care knowing that they will go hungry if school is closed.

What I would love to see as one of the results of this virus is the recognition of the wide and increasing inequality in U.K. society, and legislation brought in to try to mitigate it.

I'm not being political I'm talking about empathy and common decency. I'd like to think that the 'older people' that are in a 'worrying situation' are actually worrying about 'younger' people that are worried about not paying rent/feeding their families.

The usual prejudices coming to the fore I see!

Yes, from those who are blind because they won't see. There are times I could wish the graceless ignorant could be put in the position of those they know so little about but that is just too unkind but I do end up dispising some for their chosen lack of knowledge.

Or....perhaps very worried that their older DH with heart problems and recent pneumonia ( my DH) will now catch another life threatening illness.

What do some expect the government to do, more than they are promising to do?
All aspects of this virus and what goes along with it are being considered and planned as fast as it’s humanly possible, from
Hospital care to the economics, including loss of jobs or a week or so off work due to self isolating.
Younger working people are not going to die, but the older retired people ( not just really elderly) will do, particularly those with other health problems.
Yes, losing a job is worrying, also managing for a week or so
With limited sick pay, but in the end, it’s all of us older ones that are in real danger.

I have plenty of experience of being poor, thanks GGM3
So have already been in that position.
I ask again....what do you expect government to do that they are not already planning.
They can’t go around stuffing tenners through doors.
This whole year or more is going to affect almost everybody.

lemon then our DHs are in exactly the same position, and yes I am very alarmed, he however, is being far more stoical.

But that does not stop me from worrying about those less fortunate than ourselves and arguing for legislation to mitigate against a real issue in our society, that could in fact make matters worse for reasons that are obvious.

Isn't it good to see some people are all heart? I hadn't noticed this limit on compassion you imply Lemongrove. Just because I feel for one group has not yet stopped me feeling for another. It's a shame some people are so narrowly focussed.

Well if you realise how threatened we are lemon* perhaps you could acknowledge that the reason we are so much in danger is because we have an underfunded NHS. My MP asking questions in Hof C today about there being enough protective clothing for staff. It's not something that should be happening. We ae not a poor country we are simply badly run.

All heart or all heart problems?
I don’t expect sympathy ( just as well) but am very worried indeed.

You can worry about those less fortunate ( again, have been in that position!) but none on here are actually saying what they want the government to do over and above what they are
Doing.
So...over to you, what should they do ( that they aren’t planning to do) and perhaps you need to check facts first.

Badly run perhaps trisher ( the NHS) but not under funded.

It's the country that is badly run lemon if it were being properly run the death rate and the danger would be considerably smaller. But I understand that having elected this useless crew and allowing them to run down the NHS you now realise what a huge gamble that was and how it is coming back to haunt you

Statutory sick pay at £94 a week is totally inadequate. I would raise that to at least nearer the level we find in Europe