Carers allowance breaches modern slavery laws surely

I'm a carer for my Disabled child BTW.

Your "not insignificant amount" is relative though to the ever rising cost of living. The issue is the lack of financial independence for a carer who has to use less than 100 a week for all their personal expenses which they don't want to take from a tight family pot. It means no security, no financial planning ability and an uncertain future given the strict condionality of all benefits, meaning that if one changes, there is a domino effect on the rest, and suddenly debt starts spiralling.

One may argue that it's not the state's responsibility to help people long term, if there are theoretically other options available, but as many have pointed out here, theory and reality are two different animals.

This applies to the idea of challenging the statutory obligations of LAs and other agencies too. It's a long bureaucratic process and people with immediate and ever variable needs take priority for carers over wading through an unsympathetic and overly bureaucratic system that seems to be designed to test your commitment to the challenging over all else.

I know no system will ever be perfect but it's so far from even workable for so many it's tragic.

No but it's a lot more than just £83 / week ( for some at least)

@Bridget57

my friend is in the same situation, though they were offered a full time nursing care place in a care home or 20 hours per week in their home plus 4 weeks residential respite - 20 hours a week is cheaper than a full time care place but 24/7 home care is very very expensive. They have opted for the 20 hours for now

Given how expensive disability can be for some, this isn't always the case

And you know that people who aren't on the state pension because they are (say) 45 years and not working due to full time caring duties only get carers allowance full stop ?

People are being a little disingenuous here
If somebody is only claiming carers allowance then yes it is a pittance .
But if someone is also claiming UC which in cludes disability element plus DLA for the child nd yes despite whst some posters insist It's perfectly fine for the DLA to go into the family pot, all of this can add up to a not insignificant sum.

Same with foster care. You have no say in fee or allowance and you’re paid a pittance. Plus told you can’t take other jobs to earn more money. Then at 18 the child has no allowance paid at all so the carer is responsible.
I don’t mean to derail your thread op. I’m in complete agreement with you. Carers allowances are terrible.
if I earned minimum wage I’d have a very different lifestyle but sadly I don’t and probably never will.

You don't have to be looking for a job if you claim carers allowance and universal credit

It is ti be used for the benefit of the child so that means anything and can included in bills etc as keeping a roof over a child's head benefits the child.

You’re missing the point, if the family member said this is too much physically and emotionally and the relative had to go in to state funded care, whether that be residential care or have cares coming in to their home, it would cost the government a hell of a lot more than the measly CA that people currently get.

Thanks for confirming. That’s really quite shit isn’t it? So, some people are dependent only on carers allowance? How do they pay rent / mortgage? How do they afford food?

Carers allowance itself is a pittance but along with universal credit, which includes disability element plus DLA/ PIP in some circumstances it can add up to a decent amount.

I am so sorry for you. That sounds like such a lot to have to do forever. Relentless is the word I’m thinking of

When it comes to the current overpayment scandal, zero logic has been applied in the zeal to "claw back" "taxpayers money". The amounts allegedly owed under the clusterfuck of the current system (which aren't enough by any means) are dwarfed by the administrative and legal costs of pursuing it, suggesting it's absolute not about actually saving money.

When our justice system allows people to be criminalised for making mistakes while under the huge pressure and financial strain for making MISTAKES generated by the system itself, which hasn't bothered to liaise with HMRC and monitor income for years, despite that function being built in, you begin to wonder if the country is truly run by sadists and eugenecists.

I don't believe these cases should be going to court. If billions can be written off for banks and badly run corporations, then these relatively paltry amounts should be treated the same, and the system needs to be nuked and restructured.

It s not straight forward hourly salary. Is meant to top up. Does not compensate if someone gave up a job.
Keeping job and then doing overnight with non sleeping disabled child is hellish i know that and did it! ...some if high enough income can employ day and night care instead amd/or get some of this funded and continue working. It can be a choice.
It s not a case of give up a well paid job always. It is choice based on circs and some find it hard to get a place or to accept a residential placement.

Sometimes people choose because yes they cannot trust anyone else and do not want residential care or paid carers (which would cost more for sure than voluntary family care).

Carers allowance is caring 35 hours per week care so can go alongside ss paid carers covering some employment hours to the limit set

Top rate dla may be taken into account by family when considering if they give up paid work and take carers allowance. Of course dla often goes into family pot. It is not always spent solely on disability related.

"Nobody has to do it" Because it's so easy to walk away from your disabled child, parent, spouse etc It's so easy to just shut the door on them and go out, to work etc knowing that they can't get food if they are hungry, they can't get to the toilet, they can't take their medication by themselves, they can't turn themselves to prevent bed sores, I could go on and on but yes "nobody has to do it, it's voluntary". I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

You know you cannot claim carers allowance when you are on the state pension, do you???

The point is that it’s not ‘income’ for the parent in the way that a salary is. When I worked, my salary was spent on housing, bills, clothing etc for all of my children, hobbies for all of my children etc. When DLA is awarded it is made very clear that it is to be used for the benefit of the disabled child only, otherwise it is misuse of funds. It doesn’t constitute part of our household income in the way that my salary did.

On paper it is voluntary work. Nobody has to do
it.
I’m not saying it is morally right, but why it doesn’t have to be paid min wage.

People can claim carers allowance for each other which seems odd imo. If you can care for another surely you can care for yourself?

What I do disagree with is how uni students are classed as full-time when it comes to carers allowance so can't claim, even if only 10 contact hours per week. Yet we lose our child benefit and they have to pay for prescriptions and dentists because uni is not classed as full time education. Which is it?!

You can't claim Carers Allowance if you are in receipt of full state pension.

If its going to paying the parent to care for the child then that's being spent on the child.

Lots of people claiming carers allowance are retired spouses claiming it for caring for their husband/wife. Should they be paid a full time salary for this on top of state pension and other benefits?

And lots of people aren't.

Likewise many more are claiming it for children they care for where they are also in receipt of disability benefit payments for that child

The disability benefit payment for the child does not and should not make up ‘household income’. It is to provide things needed for the disabled child over and above those needed by a non disabled child. For example my son has 4-6 showers a day to regulate himself, meaning my water bills and gas bills are far higher than they would be otherwise.

We aren't paid a caring allowance for caring for our pre school age children although having them often prevents working unless you pay for expensive childcare

No, we’re not. And when I had my 2 non disabled children we saved beforehand to cover maternity leave and to make some inroad into childcare costs when I went back to work. That is a completely different scenario to having a disabled child. It’s short term. When I had my disabled child, I didn’t know that I would potentially not be able to work for the rest of my (or his) life due to his care needs.