Menopause Matters Forum
General Discussion => This 'n' That => Topic started by: Focus on March 16, 2020, 10:53:35 PM
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How are you?
I think I've just lost all my income until May/June at least.
July is a quiet month in my industry, and then August depends entirely on whether the Festival in Edinburgh happens. That would take me to September with potentially no income.
I feel sick.
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Thank you.
I hope you're OK.
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:-[
Good Lord. What kind?
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Yes, we farm. Not concerned about income at the moment, most of it comes in autumn and nothing to sell until lambs in may/June. The biggest problem is looking after animals if we are ill. OH is liable to keep going til he ends up in hospital. Just hoping (probably a forlorn hope) we don't get it until the cows are out and lambing over.
Can you sign on as unemployed?
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I don't think you can if you're self employed?
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Everything cancelled during the last 2 days. 6 months work gone in one fell swoop..and it's a family business. . :'(
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This in the New Statesman today.
New Statesman Morning Call
By Stephen Bush, political editor
Good morning. The United Kingdom will go on near-lockdown for an indefinite period in response to covid-19. All Brits have been told to avoid non-essential social contact, while the over-70s, the pregnant and those with pre-existing conditions have been told to enter self-isolation.
This lucid and easy to read paper from Imperial College lays out the change in assumptions that saw the British government throw out its previous approach to fighting the crisis. But one thing hasn't changed: while the British government no longer believes that it is possible to flatten the outbreak's spread in a way that would maintain the ability of the NHS to fight the disease, the government's advisors still believe that suppressing the disease will require suppression measures that go on for months - perhaps for more than a year.
That means that a far bigger economic stimulus is required than the one unveiled by Rishi Sunak in his budget. Sunak sensibly didn't opt to create a new benefit but to expand the generosity of the old one - but he needs to go much further, both in reducing the wait time for universal credit, increasing statutory sick pay and providing support for all businesses, large and small.
The most alarming bit of British economic data to come out about this crisis so far is from Transport for London: while passenger numbers have fallen on both the bus and the Tube, they have fallen close to half as much on the bus as the Tube. That isn't because people who take the bus to work are more likely to be healthy than those who use the Tube - it's that you are more likely to be well-off if you use the Tube than the bus, and you are more likely to have the economic security to take time off or work from home.
The immediate challenge for Rishi Sunak when he announces further measures today is: has he done enough to guarantee that everyone who needs to stay home, does? And the longterm challenge is: has he done enough to keep the economy in cryogenic suspension while the country fight coronavirus? Denmark's level of financial aid to businesses and workers shows the right level of ambition, as does Emmanuel Macron's pledge that no business will be allowed to fail during the crisis. The British government's challenge is to show they can similarly rise to the moment.
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Sorry didn't see this earlier:
I heard this week that the NHS is opening more creche places as the work force is required to back up the systems already over-worked within the Service. If schools close they will need more staff so I did wonder: if anyone is closing their child care facility would it be worth checking with the local Hospital to see if they can go in to assist? They will have the necessary Certificates and other checks that are now required.
If the work place wasn't so computer based I too would be offering help but I was raised in the pen and ink system. So I would be more of a hindrance than help :-\
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Yes, I'm a self employed gardener - since I work outside and have little contact with my clients, I'm hoping to keep going, but a couple of my clients are already twitchy about me coming round, since they are all in the very vulnerable category. I couldn't survive for more than a couple of weeks with no income as I've been very limited in what I've earned so far this year due to my own health issues. (And can't get any cover or support for that, since I'm still waiting for a diagnosis)
Not optimistic about my survival.
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DH and I are both self employed. Very worrying times ahead.
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Think about whether your skill base could be useful in your area?
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Oh Dorothy, I'm sorry. But I don't see why you can't carry on gardening, as clients do not need to get anywhere near you. They should stay in while you are working surely. Shame you don't live near me. I could do with help in the garden.
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You continue. We are allowed to be out and about as long as we don't be in contact with others who might have the virus. Otherwise we will all starve :o.
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Yes,us too,thankfully our staff work outdoors most of the time but we had one customer call today saying his wife has MS and is one of the at risk group so,we've assured him we will be nowhere near and he's happy with that,thankfully we have work up until July but after that,who knows,although OH has two appointments tomorrow,phone still ringing with people wanting our services but that may stop in time,scary :'(
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Oh Dorothy, I'm sorry. But I don't see why you can't carry on gardening, as clients do not need to get anywhere near you. They should stay in while you are working surely. Shame you don't live near me. I could do with help in the garden.
Yes, I can keep going as long as a)the government don't close down all 'non essential' work as they have in Italy b)my clients are happy for me to come and c)I don't end up having to self isolate. But all three of those are very real possibilities. I'm amazed I haven't gone down with it so far, as I'm a sitting duck for any bug since being very poorly over Christmas - and my lungs haven't recovered from that yet!
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Lots of fresh air required then?
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Well I'm hoping that will help!
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Focus, you should now be able to claim universal credits:
For self-employed claimants, the Chancellor has announced that the requirements of the minimum income floor will be temporarily relaxed for those directly affected by COVID-19 or self-isolating in line with guidance, for duration of the outbreak.
The minimum income floor (MIF) applies to universal credit claimants who are gainfully self-employed and in the all work requirements category. The level of the MIF is broadly the equivalent of the national minimum wage multiplied by the working hours requirement in the claimant commitment (usually 35). Where the claimant's earned income in an assessment period is below their MIF, they are treated as having earned income equivalent to their MIF in their universal credit assessment.
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I'm self employed and work from home but I can do all my work on a laptop, by letter and by phone so I don't have to see anyone so from that point of view, I think it's ok but here comes the big but... I work in insurance and every bit of my income is commission based. My worry is that everyone will lose their jobs and the businesses will lose their incomes and then have to cut down all the expenditure to the bare minimum because of this so I will lose all my customers, that renew year after year because they wont be able to afford it. I won't be able to get anymore customers because no one will have or be spending any money!
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I'm so sorry, my anxiety is super bad today.
I'm at my finance's house for a few days. His mum has been slowly dying for a while now (she's in her 90s).
He's had a couple of calls in the past three weeks or so to say things are particularly bad with her.
He got the call this afternoon to say things were quite bad with her again.
The episodes of quite bad are getting closer and closer together.
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Ladybit - your skills may well be useful by the Autumn ;-)
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Ladybit
;D ;D I love predictive text :)
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whoops - have you nowt better to do :lol:
Focus - is the lady in hospital?
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CLDK, she's in a home. It went into lockdown maybe a couple of weeks ago, with absolutely nobody allowed in.
My fianc? and his siblings have been allowed in and are there now. A couple of them live too far away, and one of them...his wife is slowly dying from cancer. It's horrendous. Along with the whole Coronavirus thing, I feel so stressy at the moment.
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CLKD - ladybit here... ;D ;D if I can survive until autumn? Personally I reckon we may well be done by June. China started in December and their's was done in 4 months ish!
Yep the whole thing is horrendous Focus when there is family tragedy as well. Buried my dad on Monday and loads of people came, it didn't seem to bother them but in the last 48 hours here the world seems to have lost it's marbles entirely. Monday seemed to be the last day any sanity reigned at all! Now I have a flat to clear whilst working in it in England and my younger son with the heart condition is stuck in NI on his own keeping the house going there. I'm with you in the stressy club. I thought things were bad before but add in cornona and wow it's whole new level. Oh and my brother is useless, funerals done so he thinks he can go back to his general life >:( xx
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Good grief....I'm lost for words.
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Ladybt,I'm so sorry :'(
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Same here Ladybt. :'(
I'm so sorry to hear this.
Sending my condolences to you and your family.
Look after yourself. xx
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I'm sorry too Ladybt. Sending cyber hugs and wishing you the strength to cope.
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Lady I am glad that people still came to pay respects they mustve thought a lot of him.
The virus and lockdown measures have created a logistical nightmare for many families.like yourself. I'm so sorry. Sending love xxxx
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very sorry for your loss ladybit. Xx
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That's another tack completely, funerals over here. Is there much to clear Ladybt?
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Thanks ladies, it's a flaming good job my hrt is working properly otherwise....well...I don't know where I'd be! ::)
Yep quite a bit to clear in the flat. It was very sudden and caught us all unaware's. He was only talking to my brother 2 hour before he died and my eldest was in the flat with him but watching film in his room from about 9 and then realised that his grandad's light and telly were on just before midnight which was unusual and found him in his chair. It was quick which was good for him but the rest of us are knocked sideways because there wasn't any reason to expect it! :'( :'(
Dad was methodical with his paperwork but the shredder is working overtime! I have stuff which my mum and he brought from their previous house! Mum died 23 years ago so he was on his own and then my son moved in 5 years ago but it was only supposed to be a stop gap but he decided he couldn't leave his grandad but grandad wouldn't let him "clear up" much! There are things here which I have seen in my life since the day I was born and I am finding that the hardest bit. It's like I cant get used to him being gone and now all those things need to be gone too! :'( :'( Somehow I think the 6 to 12 months after a funeral are worst. We only buried my sister in law in November...I am teetering on the edge to be honest. I know how you feel Focus, sitting next to a bed is like torture, and I send my love...SIL was one where you just ha to sit and wait and now Dad which is the complete opposite...urgh the universe is pretty cruel isn't it?
I certainly need my friends on the forum because I don't have any others and even if I had they wouldn't be any good cos of this corona virus so thanks for listening...I think it's better out of my head and sorry for the diversion this is supposed to be a post about self-employment. The link to all this is that because my brother is employed he has a get out clause...he has to go home and go to work whereas I can work from here, that's if I concentrate long enough to get anything done! xxx
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Can your son stay there or does the house have to be sold? I have a room full of stuff I brought from my Dad's house. He died 5 years ago and I still don't feel strong enough to throw it out (it's mostly stuff I didn't want to throw away rather than stuff I want to keep). It's so hard. I hope your son's OK, it must have been a shock to find him.
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Sometimes good to write it down ladybt,better than talking.sending much love,stay strong xxxx
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The flat has to be sold Sheila99! there are 5 beneficiaries under the will but none of us have enough to buy the other's out! My son although 30 is beyond himself. Death is pretty traumatic but a shock like that is going to have some lasting grip and this is his first close "death" if you understand what I mean. His grandad was a great age but took no meds and wasn't ill. As we get older we obviously lose more people and its not you get used to it, you probably get better at handling it. I wanted to get him (and me) to grief counselling as soon as possible but that's not going to happen with all this isolation stuff and the longer it goes on, the more any of the ideas like, "why didn't I know" or "should I have seen something was wrong" or "did I miss something" will take root. I can see it happening now but I cant do anything. Talking on the phone isn't going to be that helpful. I thought if we went together it would be better but....cornona! x
I already have my husbands mother's stuff and his sisters stuff in my house...all the things he didnt want to part with...so many memories but there is a limit!!!
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Cruse offers telephone support. it's better than nothing. I once sought help from the Samaritans. To be able to talk to someone in my hour of need had a profound effect. Just to be listened to, heard and valued. The kindness and non judgement radiated down the phone.