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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Unpaid carers should get a pension

66 replies

ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 09:14

By unpaid carers, I mean those thousands of us that receive carers allowance and care for our loved ones.
Carers allowance doesn't go far. For me I know I could work to top it up, but I actually care for 2 people, but can only claim for 1 carers allowance as apparently I am caring for 35 hours a week. No I am caring 24/7. Plus my own health is now affected. I don't get a break. Ever. But I love my family so I do it.
I do worry about my future, I can't save for a pension at all and really don't feel valued as a carer.
So AIBU to want a brighter future?

OP posts:
MsHippo · 02/07/2018 09:33

If you claim carers allowance you should also be receiving NI credits so you should get a state pension as if you had been working. I appreciate that's not a lot though.

Imchlibob · 02/07/2018 09:33

Yanbu and I thought this already happens:

For each week you receive Carer's Allowance you will normally get a Class 1 National Insurance (NI) Credit added to your NI record up to the tax year in which you reach State Pension age

So you should be getting national insurance contributions (which will eventually be used to calculate how much state pension you get) as if you were employed.

Or were you meaning you should have an additional pension on top of the state pension?

Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 09:40

I'm meaning an additional pension, a Thankyou for all the hard work you do pension, you are valued pension, something to look forward to in old age pension....if I live that long! Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 09:41

Mind you we don't get paid minimum wage so I'm really clutching at straws for a pension aren't I Wink

OP posts:
Sugarplumfairy65 · 02/07/2018 09:50

My husband list his carers allowance when he reached state pension age. He used to work part time and care for me. I used my pip to pay for a carer to help me when he was at work. He now gets approx £150 per week state pension, no carers . Luckily, before I became ill he worked full time and paid into a private pension which is another £150 per week otherwise we would have been in the shit! Some people who can't work full time for years and pay into a pension because of caring responsibilities face living in poverty in their latter years

WaggyMama · 02/07/2018 09:52

You will get the state pension. You need to pay into a private pension if you want additional pension payouts - like everyone else.

Skyejuly · 02/07/2018 09:55

I care for someone full time and feel massively underappreciated by society. :(

SnuggyBuggy · 02/07/2018 10:04

It does leave unpaid carers in a crap situation

Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 10:08

@WaggyMama I know I need to pay into a private pension like everybody else, but how can I when I can't work and receive just carers allowance? Any ideas?
(Actually I do work, caring is very hard and rewarding,just not paid as much as it should be).

OP posts:
Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 10:09

With you on that @Skyejuly , and judged sometimes for not 'working', but that's another thread Grin

OP posts:
StUmbrageinSkelt · 02/07/2018 10:09

In Australia we are paid a Carer Pension and a Carer Allowance. We're screwed for superannuation contributions though.

My pension is equivalent to the disability pension and the old age pension. I think it's fair enough that I am paid this to care. I cannot work even part time due to my caring role and I save the state a lot of money. Our support workers are great but when I see how much they are paid per hour doing work that's less skilled or onerous than my role it pisses me off.

jarhead123 · 02/07/2018 10:10

@WaggyMama, do you have any idea how little Carers allowance is?

I'm another one who is a Carer and I don't know how we are expected to live on the money! It's such a tiny amount. But as others have said, we do it because we love our family and we have to. Our elders depend on us.

Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 10:15

I'm highly educated and was working but was then thrown a curved ball and put on a different life path and made unable to work.
I will end up with just a state pension, supporting my children into adult in adult life.

But hey, just pay into a private pension like everybody else Wink.

Maybe try caring like everybody else, no wait, not everybody else does!

We carers save the government a ton of money, how about showing some appreciation.

OP posts:
Tiredmum100 · 02/07/2018 10:17

I'm not really too sure about the pension side of things. Do you have a social worker? Do you have any other involvement from district nurses etc? Maybe you could ask to be refered for sitters so you can have a bit of time to yourself?

Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 10:19

No I don't have any intervention anymore, as I can 'cope' and resources are so scarce.

OP posts:
Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 10:20

Just to give you an idea on value, carers allowance is £64.60 a week.

Job seekers is £57.90 for under 24's and £73.70 for 25's and over.

I'd be better off claiming job seekers.

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 02/07/2018 10:23

By claiming carers allowance you will get state pension and if when you reach state pension age your state pension is your only income then you will get pension credit to top it up as well as housing benefit and council tax reduction if you are renting.

Babyroobs · 02/07/2018 10:25

If carers allowance is currently your only household income ( ie you have no working partner) then you can claim Income support ( or Universal credit) alongside it. cares allowance is deducted from the Income support then a carers premium added and you are about £40 a week better off than being just on carers allowance.

Spikeyball · 02/07/2018 10:25

Also if you claim carers and get a state pension you get the carers allowance deducted from your pension although you are still caring.

Babyroobs · 02/07/2018 10:27

spikey - yes when on a state pension you are no better off financially claiming carers allowance but having ' an underlying entitlement to carers allowance' may make you eligible to more pension credit, council tax reduction etc.

Spikeyball · 02/07/2018 10:30

Only if your partner has a low income.
Either way your continued work as a carer is not recognised.

Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 10:31

I understand all of that, I'm just saying, wouldn't it be nice to appreciated, like receive the NMW for what we do at least, then we could at least afford to pay into a private pension.

It does state to you care for a minimum of 35 hours before you can claim, and people can work on top of this I know. But I care for two people, so that's 70 hours (ha ha) on one carers allowance.

OP posts:
Dvg · 02/07/2018 10:32

By the way, when on carers allowance you are also entitled to Income support Top up, its not much but every penny helps.

Wherismymind · 02/07/2018 10:34

The government values us so little they pay us a pittance to take care for another human - and you think they are going to give us a better pension. Dream on. No one cares about carers if they did we would get paid a reasonable amount. At least then we could pay into a private pension.

Original poster
ICantFloss · 02/07/2018 10:37

@Wherismymind a girl can dream Grin

OP posts:
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