Furlough

Here began a wonderful few weeks with Corin at home, the sun shining and us spending some time together attacking jobs at home, interspersed with me doing some online tutoring.

At this time, as the Government were developing their plans to support employees and business owners, it became apparent that as a newly self employed person (6 months at that point), I was going to fall through absolutely every crack in the system.  And so it came to pass.

That frown is a feature now - after 20+ weeks of worrying about money.

It's a rhetorical questions but it's one that has come up in my mind a lot of late - how can I have paid into the system for 30 years, since the age of 16, for tax and national insurance, at higher rate tax and NI levels for the past 15 years, and yet be entitled to absolutely nothing to support me during lockdown?

Believe me, I have explored every option and the only thing that I have is the unwavering support of that wonderful man next to me and the savings that are rapidly diminishing as time goes by.

It's scary to go from earning enough to cover bills and expenses on a month to month basis (which I'd achieved even though in the early stages of self employment) to absolutely nothing virtually overnight.  

Ah well, could be worse.  I could still be in a job that was killing me, mentally and physically.