Time to start paying carers a realistic allowance
We finished off assessing the carer’s small grants applications this afternoon and hopefully those who have qualified will be receiving theirs in the very near future. One of the things that struck me as I read through them though, was how many people simply don’t claim what is theirs by right, carer’s allowance.
The current carer’s weekly rate is £53.10 and there are some restrictions. For instance, if you receive certain other benefits at £53.10 or more a week, carer's allowance cannot be paid to you as well. Has anyone who sets these rules any idea whatsoever how little £53.10 actually is? Quite a few of the grant applications I read were from carers who wanted a short break away somewhere, often with the cared for person who may be their partner. Nothing too extravagant, just a simple break to re-charge batteries or experience a change of scenery from the same four walls. It’s £10 just to go and watch ‘Alice in Wonderland’ here in Wrexham. So £20+ for a couple that happen to be a carer and cared for, doesn’t leave much out of £53.10.
Around 1 in 8 adults in the UK is a carer and it’s estimated that all together they save the country £87billion a year. Actually they save us way more than that because annually £740 million carer’s benefits are unclaimed. Isn’t it time we took a serious look at £53.10 and re-assessed it within reasonable living standards? We could also look at re-vamping the claim form too and make it a whole lot less daunting, particularly for elderly claimants.
nick
posted by Nick Colbourne @ 20:13
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2 Comments:
Why do people think that repeating the figures that the national Carer charities spew out as being correct?
I'm a full-time Carer, I'm on Carers Allowance and the amount is pathetic and an insult to all Carers yet the often stated "6 million Carers" is based on a vague census question that is almost a decade old. The question was so vague that people that are not 'carers' could class themselves as 'carers'. Someone that popped around once a week to do a bit of gardening for instance, or even someone that is a 'Foster Carer' (which isn't the same as a 'carer' who receives Carers Allowance and is another example of blurring the edges)
The £87 billion estimate is fundementally wrong, it was based on an hourly rate for a paid carer of £14.50 a week, most "paid carers" receive far less than this, minimum wage is the norm here. Oh, in case you are wondering, I contacted the team that carried out the research with the figures that they were told to use in their calculations.
Keep on using those stats and Carers won't get paid what they deserve, it hinders our chances rather than helps them.
Hi Clive, long time no chat.
It also completely misses those who are carers, but don't think of themselves as one. Many spouses say they are exactly that, a husband, a wife etc. They simply adhere to the in sickness and in health promise and love their cared for. The illness is immaterial to them.
It is obviously time for some new figures to be calculated, but they will never be anywhere near accurate. However, I am appalled at the rate of the allowance, the restrictive rules concerning its qualifying and the discouraging application forms. We can and should do something about that immediately.
nick
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