Unpaid UK Carers should move to Scotland if they want to receive a one-off payment to recognise the additional pressure they are under due to the Coronavirus Pandemic. Apparently the Scottish Government earlier proposed a motion which would see an additional £19.2m investment in the Carer’s Allowance Supplement. This was approved by the MSPs and about 83,000 eligible carers automatically were paid an extra £230.10 in June 2020.
The Scottish government says it values the support provided by the country’s unpaid carers, and has made changes to ensure they can access benefits and grants at this time of extra pressure.
Fairer for Carers has not rubbed off onto the United Kingdom domain as the miserly Benefit Department for Carer’s remains the lowest payment that one can almost think of as a Dickensian production – you almost see them rubbing their hands and stating; ‘Put another piece of coal on the fire!’ £67.25 per week are the rates for 2020/21and because of the low level of the payment and other entitlement conditions, including an earnings limit, the benefit continues to be ineffective in preventing financial hardship. At least 1.2 million carers are now living in poverty across the UK, whilst half of working age carers live in a household where no-one is in paid employment. Compounding this situation, on average, 600 carers a day are having to leave work to provide unpaid care.
Because despite the huge contribution unpaid carers make to society, too many face financial hardship. The Covid-19 crisis has only compounded the difficulties many carers’ are facing. The cost of living is not static, but always rising, whilst their benefits are not keeping pace realistically since the pandemic outbreak.
Carers UK has for many years been campaigning for better financial support for unpaid carers though its campaign has been completely ignored by the Chancellor, even though the Prime Minister made a promise before the last budget that financial pressure that Carer’s and unpaid Carer’s were having to live through would receive some sort of benefit.
But as usual, anything that is vital to aid the sick is put aside, but as long as the Members of Parliament get their bonuses and pay rises for Christmas, this is counted as more important and must take precedence. Persons that work for the Benefits Department ought to look to their laurels as some day they might need a Carer – but I suppose their wage is on a par with the government and they are just as callous. Below there are four examples of what Carers UK tried to get the government to agree to:
Carers UK delivered a letter in early 2019 to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on behalf of the 6.5 million carers in the UK, calling for Carer’s Allowance to be raised. They have used their voice to campaign for a rise regularly, making it a key call in their manifesto for the 2019 general election. During the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak, they have set out evidence making a rise in Carer’s Allowance very pressing.
In May 2020, they also joined with Oxfam, and more than 100 other organisations, in writing an open letter urging politicians across Britain to act to protect carers from a growing poverty crisis – including by raising the level of Carer’s Allowance.
In July 2020, Carers UK organised and delivered an open letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – copied to the Chancellor – which was signed by 92 organisations, calling for Government to immediately increase the level of Carer’s Allowance and to raise the earnings limit, to recognise the challenges people on lower incomes have had during the pandemic of additional costs.
On November 3rd 2020, Carers UK organised and delivered a second open letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions – copied to the Chancellor – which was co-signed by 75 organisations, restating that case for an immediate increase in the level of Carer’s Allowance and expressing disappointment that the Government did not respond to the original letter from July.
It’s not fair that any carers in the UK face financial hardship due to their caring situation, or that carers receive different rates of financial support depending on where they live. This has been made even more difficult for carers during the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s time we made Carer’s Allowance Fairer for Carers.
The above is just my opinion and anyone who wants to write to me care of the newspaper regarding the content – please do so! Swear words are not accepted.