Carers UK Carers Update
Caring & Family Finances Inquiry:
Carers struggling with alarming levels of hardship
12-month investigation by Carers UK exposes stark reality faced by those looking after loved ones who are older, disabled or seriously ill: loss of savings, debt and struggling to afford food and heating
The Inquiry also reveals that, despite rapid rises in the number of families providing care to loved ones, Government cuts to support leave carers facing a shocking £1 billion cut.
And, Carers UK says, carers not only feel they are not recognised or valued but also feel victim of increasing public criticism for claiming their social security entitlements.
Heléna Herklots, Chief Executive of Carers UK said:
“Those caring, unpaid, for loved ones save society vast sums, but at huge personal cost - a cost this Inquiry shows is pushing families to the brink. Caring is often a dual blow, with household incomes hit by reduced earnings, and bills rising as a result of the extra costs of ill-health or disability. With an ageing population, more of us will care for loved ones – yet a blizzard of cuts to social care and benefits mean there is less and less support available. This is unacceptable and unsustainable. This country’s carers are being badly let down. Unless Government acts to stop the cuts to support for carers there is the risk families will be pushed to breaking point and left unable to care for their own.”
In the Inquiry recommendations, Carers UK is calling for:
- An end to cuts to carers’ benefits and support services.
- Urgent reform of financial help for carers.
- The Government to make a commitment that future policy will not leave carers worse off, by implementing a ‘carer’ test for future benefits and social care proposals.
The main carers’ benefit, Carer’s Allowance, is currently £59.75 a week for a minimum of 35 hours caring – equivalent to £1.67 an hour. It is not available to those who earn more than £100 per week or to those in receipt of the basic State Pension.
Experiences of carers who gave evidence to the Inquiry, included the need to keep the vulnerable and ill warm, meant families footing bills for running heating for 12 and more hours a day, with no let-up in warmer months when those with serious illness must be kept cool; costs of travel to medical appointments and the need to rely heavily on taxis; the need to wash three or more loads of washing a day when caring for someone with continence problems, or who is tube fed; the increasingly prohibitive price of buying in care to simply get out of the door for work or respite, compounding the isolation caring can bring; the cost to future financial security and resilience of quitting work or cutting hours to care.
Download the Caring & Family Finances Inquiry report »
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New Rights for Parent Carers
Progress for Parent Carers
Carers UK has been campaigning for parent carers to be included in major changes to legislation giving carers new rights.
With legislation to strengthen the rights of adult carers caring for other adults and legislation to enhance the rights of young carers in Parliament – Carers UK has urged the Government to seize this unique opportunity to improve the rights of parent carers too.
Government has now agreed to bring forward a change to the law which will mean:
- Parent carers should now be automatically offered an assessment rather than having to request one and there is no longer a requirement that a parent carer be providing ‘regular and substantial’ care in order to receive an assessment
- Clear recognition in law that parent carer assessments and services must have the promotion of their well-being at the heart of what they do
- Consolidation of legislation on parent carers from three different Acts making the law much clearer for parents and for practitioners to understand and use