Coronavirus

[andydclements 814]

Just watch out he doesn't throw another service in there as well.

[march 857]

2 hours ago, andydclements said:

Just watch out he doesn't throw another service in there as well.

I have those very long plastic gloves should they ever be needed - depending on who it is this service could be free! 

[LotusLeftLotusRight 1,416]

Why do we need to extend furlough until the end of September if all restrictions end in June and all adults have been offered a first dose vaccine by July, as per the Government’s targets? Seems like more unnecessary spending to me. As for the Treasury granting up to £250k to help buy a pub? The pub trade is not known for its honest dealings. The current owner could just sell it to a group of his mates/acquaintances/customers for “£250k” and then all take a share of Rishi Sunak’s corresponding £250k hand-out.

[Bibs 11,682]

The amount of fraud that they could find through this will be staggering. I hope that they do catch those who are taking the piss and actually prosecute. Rishi, as you say, has been hugely generous - he allocated I think £12bn to CV in last year's budget and in reality, it's our money he's throwing about, we'll have to cover it all off before long.

[C8RKH 6,767]

It's a matched fund grant is it not?  So you can get up to £250k to add to what you have already raised for your pub/sports club/theatre - so if you have £250k you can match it to £250k.

But as with everything like this, human nature and greed will mean that a minority will use it for personal gain. But this as always been the way.

I remember well a local business man who built flats/houses. He had a great lifestyle but then his business went tits up owing several million and nothing was really recovered.

He kept his Porsche Cayenne and other expensive cars. His lavish house and lifestyle. And his 3 kids at private school, where many much smaller businesses failed due to the debts his business owed. Funny that. Oh, and his new property firm sprang up 6 months later. Change of name. And away he goes.  You, scumbags have been around since time itself!

[Kimbers 1,922]

1 hour ago, Bibs said:

The amount of fraud that they could find through this will be staggering. I hope that they do catch those who are taking the piss and actually prosecute. Rishi, as you say, has been hugely generous - he allocated I think £12bn to CV in last year's budget and in reality, it's our money he's throwing about, we'll have to cover it all off before long.

I know several companies who took furlough money during the previous lockdown and then insisted staff work before end. Some never even put staff on furlough. I also know several companies that took money to "help them survive" when they were actually thriving during lockdown. I think HMRC will have its hands full for a while!

[SFO 228]

HMRC needs to catch a few of the furlough and loan fraudsters in a blaze of publicity, then offer an amnesty provided they cough up. And then prosecute all over again. These fcukers must be taught a lesson. 

rewards should be offered to encourage employees and others to report furlough and loans abuse 

[Bibs 11,682]

It would be great, but what are the chances? Tens of billions has been lost to fraud and there's plenty more to come. They're already expecting to lose £50bn to the bounceback loans alone but I know of several companies that, as Kimbers said, are keeping people working but the govt are paying their wages for them. While it's all been a necessary (if overly generous) knee-jerk to the pandemic, the govt employ enough people who could have policed it better. 

[LotusLeftLotusRight 1,416]

I know builders who have taken a month’s Government furlough pay to spend time redecorating their own homes. I doubt they paid retail prices for the materials either. Why should my taxes pay for their home improvements?

[C8RKH 6,767]

4 hours ago, SFO said:

HMRC needs to catch a few of the furlough and loan fraudsters in a blaze of publicity, then offer an amnesty provided they cough up. And then prosecute all over again. These fcukers must be taught a lesson. 

rewards should be offered to encourage employees and others to report furlough and loans abuse 

To be fair, some companies don't need to be caught. Halfords are handing back their furlough £10m due to the boom in cycle sales keeping them going.

At last count more than £215m of furlough cash has been paid back by businesses. Not all businesses are bad. But some of the most selfish bastards are small companies (basically, greedy people) - and some are not. Some large companies are refusing to payback furlough but paying out dividends to shareholders. Some are not. Just to be balanced.

[Barrykearley 7,162]

Anyone fancy a trip to China ?
 

https://mol.im/a/9324897?fbclid=IwAR3Qme9a45Zpmsh9PYkdcLdQ8axF6cgW1H-ZiY_wJ7Q6I3fv9qIkpqxZwHg

[thebartman 127]

I think I prefer lockdown ....

[Barrykearley 7,162]

I’m sure they can arrange locks if that’s what floats yer boat.

[mayevora 1,356]

The bounce back loans were not as straightforward to apply for as I was expecting. This took about 4 weeks to go through and a few on hold for 30 minutes telephone calls to speed up/chase up. If I can restart 12th April it will be a huge relief after not working 8 of the last 13 months. 
My tax will go up considerably next year as the new Corporation Tax rate kicks in. Not good for any Business but I can appreciate why it’s had to happen.

[Bibs 11,682]

As I understand it, the higher rate is only for companies that show a profit in excess of £50k pa. 

[mayevora 1,356]

Bottom line is customers will end up paying it as prices will need to be increased to cover that additional increase.

[Painterdave 51]

4 hours ago, Barrykearley said:

Anyone fancy a trip to China ?
 

https://mol.im/a/9324897?fbclid=IwAR3Qme9a45Zpmsh9PYkdcLdQ8axF6cgW1H-ZiY_wJ7Q6I3fv9qIkpqxZwHg

Who's got them black gloves

[thebartman 127]

Headline lost in translation ?

China-expands-anal-swab-testing

😨

[Bibs 11,682]

Took me reading a few news websites to find yesterdays covid deaths, it's not really news anymore. 82. 

The current infection levels were I live in Tonbridge & Malling is 35 per 100,000.

0.035%.  

[Barrykearley 7,162]

Try this news.

the average age of covid death is higher than the average age of death in the uk.

pretty much sums up the media hype id say. 

[exeterjeep 323]

5 minutes ago, Bibs said:

Took me reading a few news websites to find yesterdays covid deaths, it's not really news anymore. 82. 

The figures for yesterday were only recently released due to processing problems .

So things are getting better around the country at last.

[Kevin Wheeler 386]

22 minutes ago, Bibs said:

Took me reading a few news websites to find yesterdays covid deaths, it's not really news anymore. 82. 

The current infection levels were I live in Tonbridge & Malling is 35 per 100,000.

0.035%.  

Try this website.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

[USAndretti42 322]

10 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

Try this news.

the average age of covid death is higher than the average age of death in the uk.

pretty much sums up the media hype id say. 

Focussing on the deaths is the wrong thing.  Remember, the constant message has been to protect the NHS.  This means the restrictions were designed to limit how many infected peope needed admitting to hospital.

However, if you kill off those over the average dying age, that average age will drop.  An average is made up of samples above and below it.

[exeterjeep 323]

3 minutes ago, Kevin Wheeler said:

Try this website.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

I go here each day to update a spreadsheet I have of daily cases and sadly deaths in devon/torbay/plymouth.

[Bibs 11,682]

12 minutes ago, Kevin Wheeler said:

Try this website.

https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/

Thanks, I know. I mentioned news websites to make the point in my post that it isn't really news anymore. Quite a few of the sites are removing their corona tabs now too.