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Britain's Covid unemployed: 'I’m broke. I'm going to the food bank for handouts'

British people who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic tell their storiesThe Guardian spoke to people who have been made unemployed due to Covid and their experiences of trying to find work.
David Omokhoje, 55, from Westcliff, Essex, was made redundant in October from his job as a chef in a restaurant off Sloane Square in London. “The last day of meaningful life for me was 16 March when I last went to work,” he says. “We went from 450+ covers for breakfast and lunch at the start of 2020 to less than 100 in the third week of March.”
Omokhoje found the first few months of furlough “manageable” but in July he was informed that unless he signed a zero-hours contract he would be made redundant. “It was devastating. A season ticket costs around £460 a month and I wouldn’t have been able to commit to paying for one. Financially it just wasn’t viable.
“I received my last pay in November and my first universal credit payment wasn’t due until January. Unsurprisingly, my money ran out. I’m broke. I’m having to go to the Citizens Advice Bureau for gas and electricity vouchers and the food bank for handouts.”
Since losing his job Omokhoje has found lockdown difficult. “Living in and not socialising fully was getting on top of me. I could feel myself going down and eventually I went to see my GP and said I was depressed. It’s not a unique story though.
“It’s not been an easy time as a lot of the facilities that would normally be available are not because everyone seems short staffed.”
He has applied for “hundreds” of jobs, many of them on minimum wage, which he thinks is “disgusting”. “Nobody, even someone who is unskilled, should be expected to earn less than £10 an hour. You just can’t live on that.
“It’s quite hard and I don’t feel I’m contributing to society, but it will get better.”
“Everyone is missing their old life,” says Clare, 53, from Glasgow, a former cabin crew member with a large airline operator. “Even when I was made redundant I thought I’d be going back – I think a part of me still thinks I will.”
She crewed her last flight in March and was furloughed until she lost her job of five years in September. “The ground staff came to wave us off and there was an eerie feeling of sadness, fear and disbelief. At that point we could never have imagined what would unfold over the coming months.”
Financially she and her husband have been able to manage because he still works, but she is worried about her mental health. “It’s affected my sense of self-worth; I thought I would be there until my late 50s but then you’re thrown into a situation where you don’t know what to do next.
“Almost a year on and I still gasp when I see an aircraft in the sky because I want to be on it – I want to be the crew and I want to be the passenger. Something that was part of my identity is no longer an option. Everything has changed – the company that I thought was rock solid and literally flying high is, like most of its competitors, a shadow of its former self and, I suppose, I am too.”
source: Rachel Obordo
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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