Just Musing, Is This A Mad Idea

[royfromaus]

Instead of paying people 80% of their wages to sit at home, why not freeze every payment going in and out of their bank account barring a payment from the government off £50 per family member to buy food. All most of us need to do at this current time is sit at home and eat. This would sort out the problem of the self-employed (me) getting nothing.


So mortgages are frozen and you do not have to pay these arrears back. Rents to landlords frozen and not required to be paid back at a later date (I rent houses and would be fine with that) Broadband providers and utility providers suck up the cost of providing services to keep us warm and entertained.

This would if I'm correct cost less than 3.5 billion per week.
So basically everything is on hold financially for everyone.
Those who have to work get their usual wage.


Feel free to tear the argument to pieces or add ideas.

[fiction-factory]

I can see gardeners who are still working. Self employed delivery drivers are working. Some builders (self employed) are working.

[ummmm]

£50 a week. You have to know how many are in a household. £50 a week wouldn't feed two of us. I suppose I could starve the younger ones....

[fiction-factory]

Roy was suggesting £50 per family member, ummmm

[royfromaus]

And I've seen so-called experts telling gardeners and construction workers they shouldn't be working.


factory
On the bright side, the self employed have done rather well in the past in terms of NI so may have those savings to fall back on




(I'm always intrigued when I C&P your name the first bit never copies.)

And many don't have savings, especially when you're in your earlier twenties and have just bought a house

[royfromaus]

I said £50 per person in the house, ummmm.

[royfromaus]

Basically it would just be freezing time until this nightmare is over.

[woofgang]

so do pets count as family members? One of my dogs is on a special diet, he also needs medication and care materials for a slow healing wound, also I am also having to spend quite a lot on tortoise food till the weather gets warmer. I could send no charitable donations, buy no non food necessities.....shall I go on?

[fiction-factory]

fiction-factory
Works for me, but maybe the hyphen messes it up for some
May explain the 'Friction-factory' typo sometimes used in the past

[royfromaus]

Both you and I know that wasn't a typo.

[royfromaus]

Do you work, Woofgang?
I was under the impression you were retired?

[woofgang]

I am retired but you said freeze everybody's bank accounts? Additionally the arguments that I put forward would apply to me (and others) if I did work including those who are self employed.

[royfromaus]

You can't put every detail in the OP but retired people and those on benefits carry on regardless. I was thinking about the workers.
What is happening at the moment isn't great.

[ummmm]

I think I might have expensive tastes.

My son is at uni....I rarely give him money but I do buy his food. His shopping list is to be admired but expensive.

[woofgang]

the issues that I outlined would have applied to me if I was working....additionally, its easy to stop a whole system, less easy to stop parts of it.

[royfromaus]

I could if necessary feed myself on 25 quid and have done so.
I could certainly feed myself a dog and a tortoise on 50.

[royfromaus]

additionally, its easy to stop a whole system, less easy to stop parts of it.




No idea what you mean by that.

[THECORBYLOON]

If too much time or money needs spending on identifying those to be included or exempted from a scheme, it is often better to adopt an all or nothing approach.

[woofgang]

Question Author additionally, its easy to stop a whole system, less easy to stop parts of it.


"No idea what you mean by that."

It would be comparatively easy (but horrendous) to say to banks every single personal bank account can only have 50 quid going out of it. Less easy to define whose bank accouncts should be frozen in this way and a nighmare if (when) mistakes are made.
Have you ever kept tortoises? I have got two, very old quite big. At this time of year they get per day a head of chicory, a bag of lambs lettuce, rocket or pea shoots plus a little lettuce or cucumber or a little pak choi and they eat almost all of it. Similarly with my dogs. One of them has a very special diet as he is frail, he also has medication and materials to keep his non healing wound clean. 50 quid a week wouldn't cover what my pets cost me in necessities.
I absolutely agree that I am blessed to be able to afford my pets and their care.
I am not saying that the self employed should not receive support. Of course they should. But limiting people's ability to spend what is their own is not the way to do it.

[Maydup]

I could manage on £50 a week, because I live a simple life and have no kids. I'm not sure how I'd cope if I three teenagers, elderly parents to help, a dog, and prescriptions to pay for, but the idea isnt completely stupid. It just needs refining which I suppose no one had time to do. 80% of wages was a quick and efficient fix, under the circumstances, plus it keeps businesses alive and ready with a workforce to reopen.