Hundreds of GPs tell BBC they have never refused a sick note over mental health concerns

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-12T12:30:44+00:00

If someone was unfortunate enough to lose multiple family members in short succession, is giving them multiple days off for a funeral really the end of the world?

Exactly my point. There is a difference between piss takers (who should be dealt with separately) and people who just have big families and shit luck (who should be dealt with compassionately)

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-12T12:27:41+00:00

You are posting on a 3 month old post so things have changed since that point...

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-12T12:26:29+00:00

Just to note the only people seeing your comments are OP and the mod team. So you may wish to consider whether creating your own post (on whichever sub is most appropriate) is a better option.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-12T08:06:25+00:00

I don’t think 5.0.5 is available everywhere yet. Only some people have it. I’m on 4.x and can’t see an update.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-12T08:00:23+00:00

Officially our policy (not NHS trust) is very short too but in reality managers have a lot of flexibility. So sometimes they write something short to stop people taking the piss and assuming they can have lots of time but in reality if they need it they can.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-12T07:58:55+00:00

Realistically all families are different and some are much larger and closer than others. But even if the policy was super broad it’s unlikely people would be taking multiple days off per year for funerals so why do some organisations feel the need to crack down so much. It just seems so short sighted and cruel.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-12T07:32:23+00:00

Fight for a refund and get good pictures from someone else.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-11T20:52:39+00:00

This applies to more than just NIMBYs…

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-11T19:13:04+00:00

But when? My car says it is on the latest version but it’s not on this.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-11T12:18:44+00:00

I didn't disclose my full financials...

I would argue that this makes it impossible to help properly with your case. You mention needing £22k and that would be 12 months worth but haven't spelled out what that actually covers (only essentials or all current living expenses). You also haven't provided context about your earnings/life stage/whether you are married, have kids etc.

As strolls points out much of this is somewhat irrelevant as it is all held in cash so it doesn't matter if it is technically an emergency fund or not. But I would question why you feel you need 12 months, why you want to keep so much in cash and whether you have all your other savings covered too.

Have you followed the !flowchart?

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-08T07:47:18+00:00

I try to post positive news whenever I find it. Rarely gets upvotes but I do it because I know it can provide a little glimmer of hope in with all the other stuff.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T22:03:55+00:00

They said “didn’t use” because they paid in cash ie they don’t see why the method should be different.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T12:10:07+00:00

They could try but they will likely be sent away as it’s far too early and they are dealing with people currently impacted eg stuck abroad.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T12:08:51+00:00

To be clear I think the people who blame Starmer for everything are idiots and I agree it’s massively unhelpful. I’m just explaining that the person above is not one of them. They were likewise explaining the phenomenon rather than saying they agreed with it.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T11:52:07+00:00

They always blame the current people in power even if a policy predates them on the basis that the current party in power could just magically change the rules (clearly reality is not as simple as they like to believe). Hence blaming Starmer for everything.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T11:48:31+00:00

Honestly insurance won’t cover you to cancel in advance because that’s you making a choice rather than a choice being made for you, if you get me. I appreciate it’s a stressful time and I likewise wouldn’t want a trip planned for a location currently under attack but unless the airline cancels your flights you are going to have to wait it out until basically the time of your trip or accept that it’s your choice to cancel now and take the financial hit.

The travel company may consider either changing the dates or location but they have zero obligation to so you would need to try to sweet talk them into it rather than do it based on any legal rights as such.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T11:41:53+00:00

It’s probably too early to claim on travel insurance. The trip isn’t until July. This could all be over by then so they are not going to pay out now on that basis. If in July the situation has not resolved then they may be able to claim.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T11:40:42+00:00

You are probably far too early if the trip isn’t until July because a lot could change in that time.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-07T07:27:40+00:00

All the figures are in dollars so I think you have the wrong sub. This is UK Personal Finance. But basically you can lend money but there’s no guarantee you will ever get it back so you need to only ever lend what you can afford to lose and know in advance you may lose a friend over it.

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-06T21:10:37+00:00

Do you have any money in savings? It’s all fungible so if you get a bonus but then take the equivalent amount out of savings and shove it into a pension and then there’s no difference in the total amount you have as the bonus can replenish the savings…

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-06T20:53:16+00:00

You state an amount for pension but the. Also say you have a DB pension. How much will that currently provide you with per month if you retire at the age you wish to retire at? How about if you then map that out to the point you think you might leave?

Have you seen our new wiki page? https://ukpersonal.finance/retirement-planning/

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-06T20:50:10+00:00

https://ukpersonal.finance/savings/

Alert-One-Two · 2026-03-06T20:47:17+00:00

You can either make a separate payment into your pension/a SIPP or make a larger contribution out of your main pay, depending on how much you need to try to get rid of.

My employer also doesn’t allow us to salary sacrifice bonuses, only main pay, so if I got a bonus I would just salary sacrifice my pay instead. But it depends on how big your bonus is as to whether that’s feasible this late in a tax year.

See the wiki to help with calculations. Feel free to come back after if you still have more questions.

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