Why is it fair that Scottish carers get more carers allowance than English carers?

[KindleAndCake]

With the carers supplement they get twice a year, it boils down to just over £11 a week more than English carers. They're all doing the same old slog, so why is it fair.
I am caring for 2 people, it is hard going. I only get carers for 1 though as that is how the system works. Ive just found out that Scottish carers get a supplement twice a year, lucky ducks. Well sort of, better than nowt.
So my question is, why? I thought we were one nation. Am I being unreasonable here.

Many of us pay higher income tax?

YABU. Presumably this is a decision taken by the Scottish Government.

We’re not one nation, we’re four. A lot of decisions are taken centrally in Westminster but a lot are devolved and decided locally - and care is one of them. You might as well ask as why carers in France are paid differently - different governments make different decisions. As a general rule, we have better services and higher taxes in Scotland.

Devolution. It allows for different policy and financial decisions to be taken in Scotland by our own government. We have a different NHS, Education and Justice system (among other things) too. The lack of knowledge about this across the rest of the UK is odd.

In Scotland the taxes are higher for people with different thresholds.

It's also devolution so Scottish govt get to decide what money is spent on. Flip side there is no under 3s childcare funding unless you qualify for assisted 2 year old funding which tends to be UC households.

Does the word "devolution" ring a bell?

Scotland also pays higher income tax to allow things like this.

That's what devolution is about I'm afraid.

We are not one nation, we are four separate nations who combine for various political matters.
It could be as simple as England is a bigger nation and therefore it would be more expensive to pay all English carers that amount, whereas Scotland is smaller and has fewer people overall. Or it could be Scottish govt decision on how they allocate funds for different things. I agree it seems unfair in some ways but there are also various other things Scotland do that I feel are better- free prescriptions, free bus travel for under 21s, no separate water bill etc. But they are a separate nation, there’ll be other things England do differently too.

It’s what the Scottish government chooses to allocate. Scotland is a much more socialist country from what I can see.

Scotland gets £2,000 more per hear a year to spend than it raises in taxes thanks to the Barnett formula. Instead of improving public services with this money it chooses to give this money away in benefits and ‘free’ things. Prescriptions, baby boxes, university tuition, much higher pip equivalent, no bedroom tax etc. they keep getting voted in by people living off benefits, public services keep getting worse, income tax on those earning more than the average wage keeps going up.

Its the way the SNP thinks a country should be run.

much higher pip equivalent

pip and adp payment is the same in England and Scotland

Understand what you're saying, but it totally misses the real issue - carers allowance in both places is woefully inadequate. It's actually disgusting as little it pays for what being a 35 hour a week carer actually involves.

And it's considered an income replacement benefit, meaning you cant get it at the same time as other income replacement benefit, and it's taken off of Universal Credit as "unewrned income". Unearned. Income replacement. It's neither of those things!!

Makes me so mad.

why? I thought we were one nation.

Well, there’s your first mistake.

Do you get mad about what carers in Australia or the US receive?

Do you think Carers allowance should be at minimum wage? Because that would bankrupt the country instantly.

It’s fair because Scotland is a different country with devolved powers and its own taxation system. Very simple.

Same with the Scottish child payment. £100 per month per child under 16 for each child if in receipt of UC. I don't think there is an equivalent in England.

So my question is, why? I thought we were one nation.

Sometimes it’s astounding that anyone can vote. 🤦‍♀️

I think you need a new thread title:

How can we improve English carers allowance to be on par with the Scots or better theirs.

It will come down to politics.

Scotland also gets free prescriptions, free university tuition, baby boxes and free water. Some of us do pay higher income tax, though. Devolution means that there are some significant differences between how England and Scotland are run.

YANBU to feel your carers' allowance is inadequate. It is, and should be higher.

Presumably for the same reason as prescriptions are free in Scotland and Scottish students don't pay tuition fees - it's one of the things the Scottish government has control over and that's how it chooses to spend its money.

Surely you're aware that some decisions are devolved, OP? This is just one of those decisions.

“The lack of knowledge about this across the rest of the UK is odd.”

I’m English, I know about the Scottish devolved government and that they have some different policies, taxes, university fees etc. But it’s 8% of the UK population, I don’t live there and it doesn’t affect me. Why do you expect me to know the details?

I pay more tax than people in England - presumably this is one of the things the Scottish Government chooses to spend it on.

Devolution allows for this - and as a Scot I pay more income tax, which covers things like this.

I would expect you to know why policy is different- because you’re in a different country.
England making up the majority of the population of the UK is really no excuse for English centric ignorance where you literally think every country is the same as England.
PP are right, it’s like wondering why policy is different in France.