To think very few carers will benefit from the “ increase “ in carers

[Ionlytrymybest]

reading the budget and I can see some carers may benefit
those who can work along side up to the maximum amount allowed of earnings or those with partners who work full time with a wage good enough to not be on UC.

but many full time carers are on universal credit, so the increase in these cases is surely pointless they won’t see an increase in their monthly money at all as it is deducted 1.00 for 1.00 from Universal credit ?

so unless they change the 1.00 for 1.00 deductions it’s not really that big of a change ?

The point is the more they earn, the less the government needs to pay
I doubt they will be worse off it is just more from wages and less from benefits which is a good thing.
We all agree that working people should not need ANY benefits don't we.

But they don’t treat it the same as a “ wage “

benefits is not a wage but it is an income
so income should not change

I worked part time for years because I was caring for elderly parents. I never claimed carer's allowance because I was earning over the limit and we needed my salary to pay the bills. DH worked full time so I did the bulk of the care. The knock on effect is a much lower pension than I would otherwise have earned. Given how much money carers save the government and the tax payer, I think it is still a very unfair situation.

You said before they would get more money they “earn “ and less from benefits. So it’s one or the other.

My son is 8, he is cognitively 0-3 and is extremely high needs, doubly incontinent, no language at all and other health/social communication issues.

I get paid in my own right £81.90pw (taxable) to care for him, which includes night waking every 1.45-2hrs for an hour at least, the only rest and sleep I can get is when he is at school, he has to be supervised 24/7 and we despite being awarded PA hours there is no one willing to take the job so holidays is even more full on.

If my son was to be looked after by the state entirely his costs would be in the multiple of thousands per week.

£81.90pw.

I hear you.

I am so sorry. It really is disgraceful.

I may have misunderstood, sorry

I thought you were saying they wouldn't benefit from payrises as for every pound more they earn in wages, a pound is taken away in benefits.

So for example, if they were £100 wage £100 benefits before then £110 wage and £90 benefits after.

My sons 20 now so I don't even get five days while he's at school (he was awarded 3 days a week at a day center).
He's my boy so I'd do it for free but having to give up my job to care for him for the measly amount I get from the government is hard.

No so the current system means
that. Every 1.00 they “ earn from the start is taking from UC.

so current system if a single person was working and UC top up they could earn 400 ish pound before UC is decreased then after that 55p is deducted per pound.

a single person “ earning “ carers and unable to work because it’s full time gets 80 something pound a week carers and the whole 80 is deducted straight away from UC. In this case the new rise in carers means they will be better off by 0. Because every penny with be deducted straight away.

Ah sorry you are talking about carers allowance aren't you
I thought we were talking about rise in minimum wage so carers (the job) get more which may reduce UC.

Yep!! Still a LOT more work to do behind the scenes to get the government to recognise carers properly!

It shouldn't be deducted off benefits for a start, not many carers have the time to work!

The only way I can see it being fair across is them recognising it the same as a “wage “ and allowing the first however much a month to not be deducted and then 55p an hour after that.

You know what a joke is?

I care for four people, I'm pretty much grounded into the ground with my responsibilities to the point where I'm going a bit stir crazy. For the privilege of saving the government thousands a year and 100s of thousands over the decade I get £81.90 a week.
I get paid £20.47 for each person I care for weekly..... nat min wage is what £12 a hour?

Yeh so the new budget basically says bear in mind to claim carers your supposed to care for I think it’s like 30 something hours a week to be eligible or has that changed ?
that the current carers amount will be upped to the same as a weekly wage of 16 hours ( minimum wage )
but nothing about how the system of deducting 1.00 for 1.00 on UC so many people won’t see the change at all.

Which is appalling & repeated for thousands across the country. I just can't quite get my head around how we're so lopsided in our priorities. I honestly don't know how you cope.

It is pointless, isn't it.

Is the actual £81.90 per week going up? Or just the earnings limit?

It’s going to up apparently to match 16 hours a week minimum wage

Ah I see. Then will be taken off people in UC. Brilliant!

Yes currently 1.00 for 1.00 🤣

Solidarity. You are doing one of the hardest and most important jobs in society and you should be paid properly. Even paying you minimum wage for the hours you are with your child would be much much cheaper for the government than professional care. And that would be far too little as well.

My disabled child is younger and is easier to care for at the moment, as they’re small and easy to manoeuvre, and incontinence/lack of communication skills/night waking is less unusual at their age. But they have a diagnosis that means what you describe will also be our future.

I am too worried to even think about it. Wouldn’t it be nice if the government diminished that worry instead of adding to it.

I don't even bother claiming Carers Allowance despite being entitled to it, as it wouldn't actually make me one single penny better off due to being deducted in full from Universal Credit! So there's just no point in the hassle and paperwork.

Wait now I think the article I read was wrong 🤣🤣🤣🤣 so it’s not increasing? Just the amount you can earn ?

I think it is the amount you are allowed to earn has gone up not the allowance itself.