Work v Furlough

Yes, fFlaurie, it does seem unfair, and I think many people treated furlough as paid holidays. My work contract was changed in November, from being on the pay-roll to being freelance.
I was unable to work from home, so was not paid, and fell between the crack of those who were financially supported.

Same here sadly. Resigned from job just before furlough therefore couldn't start new job. Couldn't claim anything as awaiting a teeny tiny teaching pension to commence. Tough times - pensioner mum has been helping out! (I've been looking out for her too) However all things considered there have been many lessons learned and light bulb moments - notwithstanding the great sadness of the loss of lives.

You're one of many in the same situation. I'm almost 61, work part-time (various shifts) on a hospital ward (Thankfully no Covid-19 there), and I've been doing my usual hours all through the crisis. Like you, I won't get a state pension for a few years (I'll be 66), but I'm NOT envious of those who had been furloughed - if I'd been at home all the time, I would've gone mad! I've been glad to see colleagues and patients, to maintain some sense of normality in a world that's been upside down.

Don’t hold your breath for a reduction in retirement age for women. Many women would not be entitled to benefits if they had a partner, or other income. I suspect the current situation costs the Government less than a change in the law. Retirement Pension has long been the most costly of all benefits/pensions.

fFlourie you are in need of a break, as you say. Please consider taking a short holiday to recharge.

Don't believe furlough is all roses though. The stress, for many, is immense... and they aren't all young.
My middle-aged daughter has had to furlough herself and has no idea where the next work will come from. I have a 62yr old friend who is furloughed after just changing jobs (still on probation so likely to be first to go). No spare cash as 80% of her income was already needed just to survive.

You may be exhausted now but you have survived so that's a blessing. Think about the things you are personally grateful for - I think there will be plenty, take a little break, and don't focus on those seeming to have one long holiday.

I really hope you will feel better soon.

growstuff I don't see any pension exaggeration on this thread. I notice Gillybob said she couldn't afford to retire till after the state pension age. That is a different matter.

Maybe this is what you mean?

It would necessitate a major change of legislation for the pension age to be reduced once more to sixty or sixty-five.

That reduction would also have to be applied to both men and women as I believe the changes to pension provision were, I believe, brought forward as part of the Equality Act 2010.

I stand to be corrected on pension provision being part of the Equality Act if others have better awareness and links.

My daughter, a key worker, had a bit of a wobble one day after taking her three children to the local park. We were still in full lockdown, and people were only supposed to be in groups with the people they lived with at that time. Both my daughter and her husband were working extra and very long hours, they were in contact with Covid19 patients, their children had to go to school three days a week, and her two year old was thrust unceremoniously into a nursery as their childcare, us, dried up as instructed by the government. On this particular day, her day off, she saw large groups of people, no social distancing, sitting around in the park, eating and drinking, and having a nice time. She came back to our house, and from the other side of the front garden wall, she told us what she had seen, and she was so overwhelmed and overwrought, that she cried. She said they were doing everything, working longer hours, putting themselves in danger, and these irresponsible people were having a government funded holiday. We tried to console her, without being able to touch her, and told her some of those people wouldn’t actually have a job to return to.

So fFlourie I do feel for you. Thank you for your continued hard work. I know that it’s been really difficult for our key workers, and we are really grateful to you all. Try to take a holiday, at home or away, and refresh your batteries.

I have worked every day since lockdown started. I have been fortunate to work from home which has been a real boon as my husband is very poorly. It annoys me we they talk of getting everyone back in the office. My company has not stopped since this began and our returning to the office will not increase any shop’s turnover as there are none near our office. I will not be returning to the office as my husband is high risk and we couldn’t all return and socially distanced there isn’t enough space which I am sure other companies will also find.

Fflaurie you’ve done a great job and deserve a rest. I hope you get one soon. I really feel for you and my key worker family members friends and neighbours who have risked their lives to keep the rest of us going.
Not always fun for the furloughed though. My GD wasn’t earning much to start with. She was grateful for the furlough money, and was saving it towards her wedding. She learnt last week that at the end of July she won’t have a job to go back to and the furlough money will stop. I guess she and others would have happily worked all through if it meant she’d have a job.

Life has really not been kind to so many people this year for so many different reasons. I understand you are exhausted, thoroughly exhausted, and it must be really hard to switch off and relax. I am full of admiration for key workers that have had to carry on regardless.

A lot of furloughed jobs will end up in redundancies and heartache and poverty for lots of people, I think a lot of businesses will be lost along the way, through no fault of their own.

You and all the other key workers out there have done an amazing job, and I really appreciate what you have been doing.

My sister (56) is a key worker, in transport, including transporting medical equipment and materials when they were fitting out a local 'Nightingale' hospital. She has had to work from home and 4 weeks ago had an un-diagnosed heart attack. Because she became too unwell to work, she was on sock - leave. Now she has been diagnosed and treated she has been advised to stay off a further 4 weeks, but has told the support nurses that she must return after 2, as her pay will drop to 'statutory sick pay, and she would not be able to pay the mortgage. She has told them she would rather die in her own home than on the streets!

PS. I wish people would stop exaggerating. The current maximum state pension age for anybody is currently 67

and the 9 (and a little bit) years I have left seem so far away I could cry growstuff .

I imagine there are few people who havent been affected by this virus. I hear your exhaustion. It must have been grim working through the pandemic and imagining everyone else is having a jolly time at home making banana bread. Of course in reality life is very different. Some are luckier than others. Most are struggling at some stage whether it be job insecurity or worry about families or isolation. The easing of restrictions has added to the confusion. I think some people may work from home permenantly and love it,others loathe the isolation is a real problem. I have a nasty feeling that the furlough scheme may just be staggering job losses. The recession and job losses forecast if happen are supposed to be worse than 1930s. Either this virus disappears/vaccine found or we may have to look at very different way of working and living. Until then thankyou and all the other key workers who kept us fed and safe in so many different ways for low pay and at risk to themselves.

Fflaurie, I feel for you.

Your situation is very similar to a friend's in that she is working as a nurse in a hospital because she needs to for at least another 4 years to receive her state pension. Apart from the additional risks she has had to her health she is physically exhausted after her shifts and takes the whole of the next day to recover. She said she would have jumped at the chance to be furloughed as would many of her equivalent aged colleagues.

Almost definitely your situation is because of the raised pension age which has affected woman of that age inordinately. A pension age raised by younger men who basically have no idea other than the finances...shame, shame, shame on them.

And yes as has been mentioned there will be an imbalance on jobs going forward because of all the Covid 19 affects.

I agree about lowering the pension age. Older people are more vulnerable to infection so surely the whole workplace would be safer and therefore less pressure on the NHS?

I have also worked during the covid crisis, because I work for an accountant and was classed as essential so couldn't be furloughed. Luckily my boss allowed me to go part time, so that I could help keep the business going and also allowing me to look after my DH, who is shielding. However we have had no help with anything, I have had to do everything, including shopping for us, so I can understand feeling really stressed and tired. I have hear people in the street bragging about the wages they were receiving for doing "nothing" and not looking forward to going back, but this is not the majority of them just a stupid few, and I hope that they have got jobs to go back to. I can understand not being appreciated though, our business is not acknowledged for having to keep working, we were very busy with our clients payroll keeping up to date in changes, and getting the funding for the wages. It has been very stressful, and isn't about to get any easier in the months go come, I have came back to work full time now, but have a 4 months backlog of work. I will also feel guilty at taking time of on holiday, although I have taken a couple of days at the weekend to have holiday with DD who is 40 this week, and I am really looking forward to it. I don't know how I would have coped during this time without my family. I have to say though that most of our clients have been very appreciative of the help they have received during this time, and they will continue to do so, we are just watching to see how many come out the other side.

I can see where you are coming from but t least you know that your job is probably pretty secure. My DS was furloughed and made redundant a few weeks later after 20 years of loyal service. Many more currently on furlough will be joining him I'm sure. The future is looking very uncertain. Who is going to pay the bills etc.

I'm sure you are absolutely exhausted and in need of a break and I thank you for all you have done. However it isn't the fault of those workers on furlough. I hope you feel better soon

FfLaurie, Thank you for being the selfless keyworker that you are. Please make a little time for yourself to rest and relax whenever possible. Everyone is grateful to you and all the other keyworkers. Take care and do have as good a day as you can, knowing that you are truly valued. xx

I’m 59 and have been furloughed from one of my part time jobs and working from home (now returned) for my other job.
I love the job I returned to and hate the one I’m furloughed from. We haven’t heard when we will be back but maybe August.
I’m really dreading going back. My parents (in their 90s) live 100 miles from me and are needing more and more help so I’ve been down there every other weekend since we’ve been able to bubble.
I wondered at the beginning of all this why on earth couldn’t the women’s pension age be returned to 60 (or within a couple of years) because there are likely to be thousands of women made redundant with little realistic prospect of a new job and surely it would be cheaper to pay their pensions than gave to support them for years on benefits. But I haven’t found anyone to listen yet!

Fflaurie. Thank you for your hard work and persistence and I do hope that you get some well earned rest soon. Can you take some annual leave?

My OH and his son both worked for the same company and were both furloughed. It was great for the first couple of weeks and then became quite worrying. Eventually my OH returned to work SIL was still furloughed then lost his job. My OH has taken a pay cut, the equivalent of about £45 per week, but he still has a job. As for me I am on long term sick and my job is still there at the moment. I have been told that if I do not return by November I will lose my job. It is a community based role so I am at risk should I return.

Both my sons have worked at home, one DIL is also working at home. The other DIL was short term furloughed and then returned to her job. She is now at risk of possible redundancy. They all said at the time that it was unfair that they were working and not being paid to be off but now they are all pleased to have their jobs.

We are living through strange times and the consequences are going to affect many of us for a long time.

Fflaurie I do hope you feel better soon and please know that we all appreciate your hard work

Suppposed to be pic of flowers, didnt work ?

You sound like my DiL who being a Key worker has had no time off during Lockdown, she is shattered. DS was Furloughed for a few weeks then told he had to go back to work. No choice really as bills have to be paid. My DGS has tried to understand what is going on & is now a scared 9year old. DGD seems to have sailed through but who knows what will be buried in her 4 yr old mind to be released in future. Those like OP & my DiL are ones who have suffered to almost breaking point but sadly CV19 does not care. Told DiL what my Nan used to say 'keep your chin up dear, the light at the end of the tunnel is not a train'. Hopefully it will not be. Try to take some time for yourself Fflaurie & I hope you will feel more yourself soon. Flowers

My GS has also worked through from day one as he's in the food supply area for Morrisons and M&S. They've been so busy that a dozen or so others were brought in to keep supplies going.
The workers were given a financial incentive in the form of a thankyou for continuing their work and my GS was delighted to have received the unexpected " bonus ". This was via Morrisons who showed how much they valued their staff.

He is one of the lucky and fortunate young men who still have jobs and having been there a few years he's still grateful to receive wages at the end of the week knowing how things stand in this world of uncertainty.

D is furloughed and at 57 still has her job secured. She was in the high risk group in security/ border control and has always been looked after by her company who fear that her return won't be until October.

In a bittersweet twist, a sadness within the family forced a fast-track situation for her to become a foster parent to 3 of her GC for which she is being paid has helped enormously, financially, although the majority of payments go towards the children, but it also brought help and assistance from social workers to establish 3 extra bedrooms.

Everything seemed to have turned on its head since March but is levelling out now and thank goodness for the summer months that everything's happened as it's been better / easier to cope with than the dark dreary days of winter.

Callistemon

I said to DH yesterday that I really do think they should lower State Pension age back down again to 65 (at least) this releasing jobs for younger people.

There may be fewer jobs around in the future so why not pay older people their pensions instead of paying younger people who may not be able to get a job.

I'm sorry you feel so tired and down but I am not surprised. Well done for helping keep the country going at a difficult time and yes, you do deserve a break.
???

It won't be reduced back to 65. There are already 65 year olds who are having to wait, so there would need to be backpaid pensions. The argument about releasing jobs isn't valid because that time has already gone.

PS. I wish people would stop exaggerating. The current maximum state pension age for anybody is currently 67.