Another great Labour policy promises unpaid carers 17 per cent allowance increase
Mr Corbyn will cite figures from Carers UK saying that unpaid carers save the taxpayers £132bn a year [Image: Alamy Stock Photo].
I also like the fact that Labour plan to fund it by reversing a tax cut for the very rich. As the rich are profiting hugely – and unfairly – from current economic conditions, it is only right that they should lose some of the perks the Tories have given them.
(If you are a rich person, then I’m very sorry if you’re offended, but you don’t make your profits all by yourself, you know, and you need to accept that taxation addresses inequalities in the system.)
Of course, I’m in the running to become a county councillor – and if I succeed, then I won’t qualify for Carer’s Allowance any more. My taxes will contribute to the payments others will receive.
And I’ll be happy for that to happen, because I know how hard it is to survive on a pittance.
Around 1 million carers would receive an extra £10 a week under plans for a significant rise in the value of the carer’s allowance being announced by the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, on Tuesday.
Labour would fund the 17% increase, which would cost £538m by the time of the next election, by reversing the inheritance tax cut announced by George Osborne, the then chancellor, in 2015.
Announcing the latest in a series of policy announcements unveiled by the party ahead of next month’s local elections, [Mr] Corbyn will cite figures from Carers UK saying that unpaid carers save taxpayers £132bn a year.
He will also argue that, with council care budgets being squeezed, unpaid carers are under more pressure than ever.
Source: Labour to promise unpaid carers 17% allowance increase | Society | The Guardian
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This is very welcome news. But I would also like to see Labour address the disgraceful state of affairs that people on a state pension, but not receiving a weekly income below the guarantee pension credit threshold, cannot receive both state pension and carer’s allowance. As the law stands, a person caring for their spouse or partner for 35 hours a week or more receives no more financial recognition than a person whose spouse or partner is in perfect health, provided they receive an unsupplemented state pension as described. That is so obviously inequitable that I am astonished it has not been addressed. J
You’re missing the point the tories as Camaroon endlessly told us are “for hardworking people” so if you are not working for any reason, or not part of what the tories consider hardworking then they couldn’t care less if you starve to death.
Excellant points which JC should add to his announcement so that folk can see that he really understands all the nasty little nuances that our favourite loving Cons government imposes on its population in the name of saving money. Still good that at last Labour has made some publicity on its developing portfolio for the next election. Hopefully the Blairites will eventually saunter over and rejoin the effort put in some real work behind getting Labour in front of the public instead of sulking and scheming in the background..
Even though this is a step in the right direction, I still think carers Should be paid a proper wage, but With all the free healthcare people on benefits get, i.e free prescriptions, eye care and dental care. That still doesn’t even come close to how much is still being saved by all the unsung heroes!!
You surprise me you really do. £10 a week a big help ? No it really isn’t, but if Jeremy really understood the issues here he wouldn’t piddle about with silly little amounts propping up a stupid arrangement. The big problem with carers allowance is that it’s not really payable to people who are working. Take me – my wife is disabled – she needs a lot of help. If I work, I can earn a reasonable – no actually quite good – salary – I’m a well paid professional – although I’m some £30,000 a year behind what I was paid before my wife became disabled, and my wife has been forced to retire early – so is now fully dependent on benefits. If I do that though our life becomes intolerable – I need to spend time with my wife, everything I need to do if I wasn’t working still needs to be done, and my wife needs to have a carer – for this she is entitled to direct payments to employ someone – but she only gets 12.5 hours per week. This wouldl’nt be so bad if we could actually find someone to do the caring – but we’re left with a choice of either agencies – paying inflated prices to exploited workers, who want us to fit their box rather than adapting to give my wife the care she needs. Or we can recruite ourselves – nigh on impossible. The thing is though, that whether I’m there or not, whether we have a carer or not – the need doesn’t go away. So I have to do it when I get home, or my son and daughter (both in full time education) pitch in – but it’s not easy for them either. (Or me). So If I stoip work, I can get a carers allowance – I can also get paid ESA as my wife’s dependant on grounds of low income (which crucially means I don’t have to sign on or be available for work) (This also cuts my wife’s ESA as she currently gets it on contribution basis alongside DLA) – However if I do get carers allowance I’m not allowed to work. Sure I can do a few hours – but not if I earn more than a small amount. We can not afford to live in that we – we still have a mortgage, we still have to support our two children at university. What we would be able to do – if we had the carers allowance, is get me working say 3 days per week. We’d be worse off but the carers allowance would help us manage. But the moment I start work – I lose the carers allowance – meaning I can’t really afford to go part time – neither can I command the salary I earn full time, in a part time job. It MUST be payable to people IN WORK for it to have any meaning at all – Carers Allowance is a disgrace – treating families of people who experience disabilities as workshy scroungers. We’re not – and Jeremy Corbyn should be calling it out, bout fannying about at the edges.
By the way – these polices are not on either Jeremy’s or Labour’s web site – is anyone maintaining them ?