Carers UK are calling on the Government to urgently act to address the financial hardship that many unpaid carers face due to their caring responsibilities, through our #FairerForCarers campaign.
Carers have been the backbone of the COVID-19 pandemic, taking on more care than ever and often caring round the clock behind closed doors to support those they care for – yet many still face real financial hardship.
Whilst others have received additional support from the Government, carers have been left out in the cold. We simply do not think it is good enough that they have been overlooked for financial support and are also very concerned that Carer’s Allowance is set to rise by only 35p a week, in line with inflation (CPI), from April 12th 2021. That means for every hour of care provided, carers receiving Carer’s Allowance will get a maximum of just one additional penny.
We feel this is nothing more than an insult to carers, who have gone to great lengths to support others during this crisis, often at great personal cost.
As a result, we are urgently calling on the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP – ahead of the Budget on 3rd March 2021 – to award a £20 a week supplement to carers entitled to Carer’s Allowance (and other carer-related benefits, e.g. Carer Premium and Carer Addition), helping carers manage both the higher costs of caring and the lack of services available to help them stay in work.
If you would like to join us in calling for Carer’s Allowance to be made #FairerForCarers, please contact your local MP and ask for their support in calling on the Chancellor to alleviate the financial pressure carers face. You can write to your own MP here – it will only take a minute of your time:
Absolutely agree with this. I wonder if there is any consideration of pensioner carers - either caring for their spouse, off-spring or parents. Lots of 70-year-olds caring for 90-year-olds these days.
Social Services were told that my son HAD to move into residential care when he was 16. I’d been removed from the respite list as a punishment for making a formal complaint about the lack of respite care. I only wanted one day a week. Then I was so ill they had to fund 7 days a week!
I had the same reply from Mp as Ian
Carers allowance is a benefit for people who cannot work due to caring responsibilities, if they think people can give up work to live on carers allowance they are deluded, the only way I could care for my son with severe learning disabilities, challenging behaviour was because my husband worked his socks off on a building site for low wages. He died at 65 yrs old , I am now a pensioner myself living on just a state pension still careing for my son alone and recieve no carers allowance . Yet people I know with no careing responsibilities recieve the same pension as me and were able to build private pensions . Governments do not care about unpaid carers and the flippant reply from MP made me feel worthless and unappreciated. Perhaps I should of put my son into residential care were he would have needed one to one care at a massive cost but I just couldnt do it , he is so vunerable . Covid has made things even harder as all his daycare and respite has been closed since last march and have had no support , no one really cares
A schoolgirl takes on world leaders on climate change and get them to rethink their ideas.
A footballer takes on the government on meal’s for kids during school holidays and within months they changed their minds .
The reason why they were successful was because of social media something carers UK are useless at. Very few people outside of carers know how hard it is to work 100 hours plus a week a for £67 a week it is slavery. A 35p a week increase is just a slap in the face. Maybe your right it is time everyone just stopped caring and tell the government you do it …
I have just had my carers allowance stopped because of a rental property. I care for my Mother 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I may go down the road of getting more help and the dwp can cover the cost which will be a lot more than they have stopped from me. Oh and to add, they are looking at me refunding allowance back to October last year.
So Rishi Sunak fails to even make reference to the position of unpaid carers. We don’t even feature on any list of priority, we really are like the forgotte or never even acknowledged in the first place. This is a disappointing outcome for all including Carers UK. What can be done to increase the volume of our voice?
It’s a shame unpaid carers work 24 hours a day to look after family and friends and in the end there is no reward for them. Carers allowance didnt increase
Life is paused for carers. Most can’t go to work to progress and develope and cant even go out to socialise because of caring responsibilities.
Its like living in isolation doing the same routine everyday.
Look at it from the government’s point of view. There is no one really making a lot of noise about the treatment of carers. During this pandemic how many times have carers UK been on the TV , radio or social media having a real go at politicians. They are too busy setting up self help groups or trying to get carer back into work. Until someone at the helm really wants to change things it will stay as it is. It’s time for the one at the top (we all know who I mean) to come out and say why she has failed us and tell us how she is going to change things. After all that is what she is paid to do fight for our rights.
Us the media and get out of your office and get into the politicians faces… Or we have to down tools and let the government take over.