Is the £60,000 NHS payout fair?

So, families of workers in the NHS will receive a death benefit of £60,000 if they die from the Coronavirus. They have put their lives on the line for the rest of us and the Conservative Government, previously castigated for its “austerity” policies has now made available this payment, surprisingly, before any significant public campaign for it. WOW!

So, I ask, who will be next. care home workers, bin men, police, fire brigade workers or teachers? Form a queue, having made one “special case” how can they resist 2, 3, 4, …. more special cases?

As a Christian I am forced to consider how one approaches aspects of our current situation, with no precedent to fall back on. Or is there?

On 15 March 2015 the Government paid off the last remaining debts accumulated during WW1. This was 9 years after WW2 debts were repaid in 2006. Of course, we have massive debts relating to the financial crisis of 2008, which have increased each year subsequently. There are no Government plans to make any repayments before 2025. Clearly, as a nation we had to borrow money to fight two world wars and indeed to prevent a national catastrophe when the banks started to fail. Essential spending caused by the covid crisis probably falls into the same catagory, but this is not what I'm thinking about.

As an Amateur Christian seeking to understand Bible shaped living, I find tensions in my own beliefs which I guess are reflected in the public discourse.

I feel an obligation to be generous wherever possible, particularly to those less well off. Whilst doctors hardly qualify under that description, there are many NHS workers living on little above the minimum wage. We want to show them appreciation and gratitude for sacrifices they have made.

But surely it is the Governments role to run the country with sound finances. This must mean not spending more than you earn surely. Like most western countries, the UK has become addicted to a diet of borrowing and even modest attempts to reduce the deficit since 2010 have been labelled “austerity” and resulted in significant public disquiet.

As individuals, I guess we have failed to learn to “ be content with such things as ye have” as demonstrated by the Apostle Paul.  He explains that “godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out”, Philippians 4:11.

It has been interesting to observe the recent debate amongst Premier footballers over whether they should take a pay cut or make donations towards the NHS. I’m not sure how this will be resolved.

At the same time there are players demanding pay increases, on top of their inflated salaries, threatening to abandon their fixed contracts and move to a tempting alternative club, dangling a better offer in front of them. Be content!

Whilst it is more difficult to give the same message to someone living on the minimum wage, we recognise that much of the world considers our poverty as riches. It is only when we compare with others and see a “differential” that dissatisfaction arises preceding financial demands.

When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, they included four instructing their relationship with God and six directing relationships with the community. Of course, keeping all ten was necessary to maintain a good relationship with God in Old Testament times.

The final commandment gets less attention than most of the others, however, is probably key to keeping the preceding five. “Thou shalt not covet” does not sound significant today, not least due to our no longer using the word “covet” in our everyday speech. Maybe this is significant.

May I suggest that it is coveting (wanting something belonging to someone else) that leads to many disrupted families, murders, adultery, theft and much untruth. Maybe as an individual I can learn to be content and resist coveting.

I was disappointed the other evening to hear someone who had recently stood as a candidate to lead her political party saying that she wanted her party to go back to its roots and be a party of “self-interest”. She was calling on her party leadership to re-focus such that they would attract voters because they would be better off voting for them. This was a call to give up all attempts to stand for justice, peace, fairness, sound management, security, education or health and instead promise more money.

So it seems we have a fault line in our politics. Some want to attract voters by promising hand outs. Others would like to spend the money they have fairly, but dare not reduce spending to what can be afforded because of the opposition they will face. If any government reduced their credit card debt to zero, they would likely never be re-elected.

We find ourselves therefore, living in a democracy, with a government (whichever party) that reflects the weakness of our heart attitudes. A covetous people will always require an overspending Government. Lord help us.

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