In the words of the old music hall song (clean version), “It’s the same the whole world over, It’s the poor that get the blame, It’s the rich that get the pleasure, Ain’t it all a bloody shame.” The ditty could have a new lease of life as the coronavirus theme music as the gulf between the have and have nots continues to widen. The more affluent have largely sailed through the pandemic. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) estimates that only 1 per cent of those earning over £40,000 a year have been in real danger of losing their jobs. In contrast, around 40% of lower paid workers ran a similar a risk. Despite the weekly £20 uplift in Universal Credit, the poor have become poorer. Their situation could become critical should the additional payment be removed in September.
The virus doesn’t choose its victims randomly. Infection and mortality rates are significantly higher amongst the elderly, the poor and ethnic minorities. You have been dealt an especially bad hand should you fall into all three categories. Three professors of Public Health, writing in the British Medical Journal, point out that Covid has simply “amplified inequalities” that existed long before the pandemic struck. Poverty and poor living conditions were already impacting on infant mortality rates, life expectancy, especially amongst women and mental health. The JRF reports those most at risk had already experienced a “decade of poverty”. The position of the low paid and those working in transport, retail, hospitality and caring has become even more precarious. The nature of their work means they don’t have the relative luxury and safety of working from home. We have all appreciated the selfless service provided by NHS staff, but there have been a great many other unsung heroes. Over the past 12 months I have appreciated more than ever, the work of our virus and weather-defying binmen. The staff at my local Tesco have been exemplary, unfailingly cheerful and helpful. Similarly, sincere thanks are due to the men and women who have kept our buses and trains moving.
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None of them are high earners, but the last year has shown how important they are. Yet, despite their selflessness, they are still less valued and protected than those working from home or who class themselves as “professionals”. I am sure many GPs for example, are still going the extra mile and sadly, some have died after contracting Covid. Nevertheless, the service provided to patients appears to be uneven. While it’s still possible to see the more expendable practice nurse, there’s an obstacle course to navigated before being granted a face-to-face appointment with a doctor. There’s the phone or video consultation, usually followed by, “Take these painkillers and if it hasn’t cleared up in a week, get back in touch”. It’s more than likely there’s a backlog of undiagnosed conditions building up, because people can’t face the hassle of trying to make an appointment.
Dentists also seem to be ensconced behind metaphorical and literal walls, offering “virtual consultations”. But every cavity has a silver lining. A relative who pays £22 a month for a private dental plan has just had a routine check and was pleased to be told no treatment was required. On the way out she was less impressed to be presented with a bill for £10 to “cover the cost of PPE”. I recently enjoyed a long-delayed haircut and was not charged extra for the barber’s PPE. The difference being he isn’t a middle-class professional. Mind you, my relative was lucky, at least she saw a dentist. As it’s well over a year since I had a routine check, I contacted my NHS dental surgery. The news was not good, it would be “many months” before I could be seen, but surprise, surprise, it would be much sooner if I “went private”. This Coronavirus is smarter than I thought; it can even tell the difference between NHS and private patients. Or am I missing something?
Everyone has been inconvenienced by lockdown but it’s low-income families that have borne the brunt. Those in less cushioned jobs may be unwilling to self-isolate if it means missing out on much needed income. Families living in homes without gardens are virtual prisoners in what may well have been already overcrowded accommodation. School closure means their children have regressed, inevitably impacting on their life chances. Schools in the private sector have publicised how well they have served their pupils during the lockdown. Children with limited access to IT, high-speed broadband and tutors may have fared less well. Loss of free school meals will have short and longer-term impact on youngsters’ health and wellbeing. It’s estimated that as many as one in six children will experience mental health problems post-lockdown.
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As we emerge from lockdown and life returns to some sort of normality, it can’t be the poor who are burdened with the bill for recovery. They already paid the price for the Cameron/Osborne austerity policies. As in times of war, there are some who have done very nicely. As Marcus Rashford revealed, there were those despicable enough to make large profits short-changing children through inadequate replacements for free school meals. On Mr Johnson’s watch, coronavirus has segued shamefully into the equally virulent crony-virus. Companies and individuals who have made eye-watering profits should be the taxman’s first port of call. The comfortably-off middle classes, emerging financially intact, also have a moral obligation to shoulder their share of the burden. Mr Johnson has sloganized, “build back better” but “build back fairer” has a nicer ring to it.
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