To think the disgrace that is Carers' Allowance should be a national scandal

[FoxyTheFox]

Carers' Allowance is paid to someone over the age of 16 who provides a minimum of 35hrs p/wk of care to a disabled person who is in receipt of a qualifying benefit.

The current weekly rate of Carers' Allowance is £67.25 p/wk, taken over 35hr this is the equivalent of £1.92 an hour. Over 24hrs, seven a days a week - the reality for many carers - it is only 39p an hour.

You can only claim Carers' Allowance once, meaning if you care for multiple people - e.g., if you have two disabled children - you still only get £67.25 a week.

There is an earnings cap of £128, so working just 15hrs a week at minimum wage is enough to stop your Carers' Allowance.

Carers' Allowance is a taxable benefit so can reduce the amount of other benefits you claim, it can also reduce the amount of benefits claimed by the person you care for. Unlike other state benefits, Carers' Allowance does not entitle you to free prescriptions or help with other healthcare costs such as dentistry or eye tests. Caring has a detrimental effect on physical and mental health but there are no specific support services for carers other than those set up by external agencies (e.g., Carers UK).

When you reach state pension age you are no longer allowed to claim Carers' Allowance even if you are still providing care.

These carers save the government an estimated £132bn each year in health and social care costs - enough to fund a second NHS. If these carers were to suddenly decide to step back and no longer provide the care needed, the social care system would collapse.

Universal Credit was temporarily increased by £20 a week to support people during the increased financial difficulties associated with the pandemic. No such increase was extended to carers in the majority of the UK, however Scotland offered a one off additional payment to carers to recognise the additional work and additional costs borne by them during the pandemic.

I've written to my MP, who does not give a shit and sent me a generic reply about how caring is hard and the government is grateful to those who care but did not actually address any of my questions or my request that he raise the issue in Parliament.

novaramedia.com/2020/11/16/the-government-has-abandoned-carers-during-covid-19-now-its-being-taken-to-court/?fbclid=IwAR2Fs10I04h0fUNMRtDTYf0hs_ieA63dVeb5Hux8Os4IQttTBD95eGemCRA

www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/news/research-the-forgotten-families-in-lockdown-unpaid-carers-close-to-burnout-during-covid-19-crisis

YANBU, at the very least carers allowance should be raised to equal the minimum wage at 35hrs/week. Not sure if it already includes NI credits towards state pension, but it should do that too.

The government know that all those carers are not going to suddenly down tools though don't they? So it will never change.

Someone on UC with no other income effectively gets their CA dropped to £38 a week.

It's derisory.

If anyone started up a petition, I’d sign it in a heartbeat.

I agree that the government knows they will never down tools and takes advantage of that to keep the rate low.

They are currently being taken to the court of appeal by an anonymous carer who is caring for multiple disabled children on the grounds that failing to increase the rate of carers is discriminatory:

www.bindmans.com/news/a-challenge-to-the-failure-to-increase-financial-support-to-carers

Caring is also an issue that disproportionately affects women, the majority of carers are women and it is almost always they who become the main carers for disabled family members.

I wonder if MNHQ could take it up as a campaign?

If you are on benefits, your carer's allowance will be taken out of that benefit.

It's absolutely disgusting.

I think I read a statistic that said one third of women aged 40-50 will become unpaid carers for a disabled child or elderly relative. I’ll see if I can find where that was to see if I am remembering that right. But yes, it’s a huge social care need and mostly women are shouldering that societal burden at their own future expense in terms of pensions for when they are too old to work.

Here it is. It’s worse than I remembered:

“Half of women will be carers by the age of 46, which is more than a decade earlier than men who, on average, don’t have caring responsibilities till the age of 57.

Two thirds of UK adults can expect to become an unpaid carer for old, sick or disabled relatives during their lifetime, according to a new report called “Will I Care?” by charity Carers UK.

The findings showed 65 per cent of adults provide unpaid care at some point and women have a 70 per cent chance of becoming a carer versus men at a 60 per cent likelihood.”
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women-carers-sick-disabled-old-relative-caring-report-a9211966.html

Totally agree. I have always held that as it's a taxable benefit, it's equivalent to a wage and so carers should also be able to claim tax credits which would substantially boost income and be a passport to various things like free dental care. I also think we should qualify for the freedom pass as travelling with the disabled person still costs and even travelling without the person you care for will benefit them in some way- even if it's for pleasure it helps the carer's mental health so they can keep going.

Of course, now tax credits are going I don't know if there's an equivalent that would work the same way.

It’s shocking. I had to give up work to care for DS and the level of carers allowance is an insult.

Like has been said they get away with it because they know those who do it would do it anyway but that doesn’t stop the lack of respect for carers being awful.

Oh well at least we can look forward to our Christmas bonus this month — a whole tenner will go a long way!

I get carers allowance the problem is that if carers allowance is increased that will affect other benefits claimants might be in receipt of tax credits, housing benefit etc ,so for a lot of carers they will be no better off.

YANBU and also once you reach state pension age, you’ll no longer receive carers allowance. If all the unpaid carers stood together and refused to care, it would cost millions and millions for social care. It’s very shortsighted.

It is absolutely a disgrace.

I am eligible to claim CA but don't, because I'm self employed and some weeks I earn over the £128 earnings limit. Most weeks I don't, but the hassle of stopping and starting everything means it's easier not to. So far this is ok because I'm on tax credits but when I'm moved to UC I don't know WTF I will do. If you don't claim CA then you aren't considered to be a carer by the DWP, so I suppose I'll have to claim it then so I'm not forced to work 35 hours a week (impossible with a disabled child who has no school place so is at home 7 days a week!!). I'll end up worse off though if I claim CA

It's a shambles. People who are carers should be properly compensated for their loss of earnings capacity.

@Haenow

YANBU and also once you reach state pension age, you’ll no longer receive carers allowance. If all the unpaid carers stood together and refused to care, it would cost millions and millions for social care. It’s very shortsighted.

The ONS estimates it as saving £59 billion to the social care bill every year. Estimates vary but it's a massive amount either way.

YANBU

Carers allowance us a pittance. They could at least increase the earnings limit and offer the additional £20 increase as per UC.

I'm a carer for my disabled son but due to the pittance that is CA I have to continue working while caring which is exhausting and relentless. I'm not sure how long I will be able to continue before it severely impacts mine and my child's health.

The support for families with disabled children and adults is a scandal. Local authorities are evading their statutory duties blaming central government cuts and the Tories see no economic benefit in supporting disabled people unable to contribute to the economy.

Most Carers are too exhausted and broken to challenge the system but something needs to change. Lockdown has disproportionately affected carers and disabled people and the effects are so sad to witness.

The new Lib Dem leader at least seems to understand and is advocating for carers and disabled people's rights.

@x2boys

I get carers allowance the problem is that if carers allowance is increased that will affect other benefits claimants might be in receipt of tax credits, housing benefit etc ,so for a lot of carers they will be no better off.

Yes this is the problem. When I’ve seen people campaigning for an increase to carers allowance I always wonder if they’ve ever spoken to a recipient who is a full time carer ie unable to work due to caring responsibilities. I get carers and any increase in the amount of it will just be taken off my income support.

You also can't get carer's if you are in FT education. So an 18 or 19 year old caring for a parent loses that money if they go to uni, even if it is their local uni and they continue to be a carer.

There is also an army of child carers who get nothing.

When I wrote to my MP the points I made were:

• CA should not be a taxable benefit so should not impact the carers other benefits or the benefits of the person they are caring for

• CA should reflect the cost of living and the work involved and should, at a minimum, match the basic weekly rate of UC

• carers should be eligible for free prescriptions, dentistry, and eye tests

• carers should not end when pension age is reached if the person is still providing care

• the earnings cap should be increased to a realistic sum and CA should taper off based on earnings rather than being automatically cut to zero.

I had to give up work for my DD. I'm a single parent.

DD aged 6 is on HRC and LRM.
DS aged 4 is on MRC.

I get he carers allowance but lose a chunk to income support deductions. There is extra attached to income support but it doesn't balance out.

I do get quite a chunk of child tax credits and don't pay council tax or rent so I don't feel overly hard done by but I know as a single parent I'm in a more favourable position on this system than a couple.

Totally agree. I balance caring for my husband (following a life-changing accident) with working. I find it hard, but continue with it for financial reasons. I have utmost sympathy for those whose care demands are such that they cannot work as well. Carers allowance is pitiful and as others have mentioned, deductible from other benefits. It's also very difficult - at least where I am - to get a rental when on benefits.

I do however resent though that funding is a huge barrier for my DDs schooling. If I'm saving them a fortune caring for her on carers allowance at least they could fund appropriate education for her IMO.

YANBU

I care for 4 disabled children. 1 gets lower rate care dla, 1 gets middle rate care dla and the other 2 get nothing. Money is very tight but it's not just about that. I feel very vulnerable as a carer to my 2 children who don't get dla. I can't work as there are so many hospital appointments and at least once a week the school will phone me to pick up my 7 year old because he has either bumped his head or been incontinent. This is one of the children who doesn't get any dla.

@FoxyTheFox

When I wrote to my MP the points I made were:

• CA should not be a taxable benefit so should not impact the carers other benefits or the benefits of the person they are caring for

• CA should reflect the cost of living and the work involved and should, at a minimum, match the basic weekly rate of UC

• carers should be eligible for free prescriptions, dentistry, and eye tests

• carers should not end when pension age is reached if the person is still providing care

• the earnings cap should be increased to a realistic sum and CA should taper off based on earnings rather than being automatically cut to zero.

That’s a good list. I may contact my MP. Is it ok to copy your list of points?

CA should not be a taxable benefit so should not impact the carers other benefits or the benefits of the person they are caring for

Maybe it would be better financially if CA was treated as earned income along with the acknowledgement that the person works at least 35 hours a week. I can't remember exactly the situation with uc but are there not in work allowances that would mean that the basic entitlement would then go up? But yes CA should be paid at 35 hours minimum wage at least.