Tories have set a benefit trap for carers because they hate the sick and disabled
A happy scene: But the Conservative government has set a trap for carers.
As a carer myself, I know the situation for those like me.
If we carry out work that earns us more than a tiny amount every week (the sort of money Boris Johnson wouldn’t even bother to sneer about), we lose the even tinier amount of Carers’ Allowance afforded us by the Tory government for saving the Treasury £132 billion a year.
With Universal Credit, we will not qualify for the taper that at least attempts to offset loss of benefits against an increase in earnings.
What are we to believe, other than that the Tories want us to live in poverty, simply for trying to help our loved ones?
The alternative is taking work that would prevent us from carrying out any caring responsibilities – plunging our sick and disabled friends and relatives into serious trouble.
It is a deliberate trap, set by the Tories, to push more of us – both carers and cared-for – into despair and, shall we say, unwise acts. We should take every opportunity to shame them for it.
The Work and Pensions Select Committee has warned that many of the UK’s 6.5 million carers face losing almost £65 a week under Universal Credit, with MPs urging the UK Government to remove the “cliff-edge” that will deter carers from looking for work or increasing hours worked.
Under the new system, which sees a number of existing social security benefits and tax credits replaced with a single payment, family carers face losing eligibility for Carer’s Allowance if they earn more than £120 a week.
MPs claim this is “a clear contradiction to Government’s stated aims of ‘making work pay’“, with those affected immediately missing out on £64.60 per week in Carer’s Allowance as soon as they exceed the £120 a week earnings threshold.
Those affected also face the enviable decision of having to choose between losing Carer’s Allowance or losing free childcare for their three or four-year-old, the cross-party Committee says, because Universal Credit rules require them to work a minimum 16 hours a week.
The Committee argues that whilst the roll-out of Universal Credit still has a way to go, it may disincentivise work for carers unless ministers recognise the problem and make changes.
It is believed that carers save the UK economy an estimated £132 billion a year, due to providing unpaid care for family members and love-ones which would otherwise have to be paid for by the state.
Source: Unpaid carers face ‘benefits cliff edge’ under universal credit, say MPs
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Mike, I firmly believe that Tories hate everyone who isn’t one of them and they even hate each other. They are full of hatred and bitterness towards people in general. They hate the fact that working class people can still (with much more difficulty than was once the case) get educated, can get decent healthcare, are able to look after the sick and disabled – they will do everything they can to stop this and prevent it in the future.
I agree with you. It’s as if they actually want to leave sick and disabled people to die in their own excrement and starve for want of carers. It reminds me that, along with the Jews, Hitler put them in concentration camps.
I agree with you also.
But the real trap and scandal is that this has been the case for donky’s years and not just under Universal Credit.
This year a carer can earn up to £120 pw before losing ALL of their Carers Allowance (currently £64.60 pw.) Last year it was £115, the year before £112 (if my memory serves me right) the year before that £110 and so on and so forth.
It’s the only benefit I know of that has never been graduated. That is, if you earn £5 over the limit, you lose a fiver off your CA. Instead a carer has always lost the whole lot if they go over that year’s limit by so much as a penny.
There are quite legal means around this. Eg, 50% of any private pension payments you make class as an allowable expense. So if you’re receiving CA and currently start employment for 16hrs pw at NMW you’ll take home £125.28 pw and lose all of your CA.
However, if you start up a private pension for say £15 pw, you’re allowed to deduct £7.50 pw from your wages leaving £117.78, meaning you get to keep your CA.
I’ll hunt out a thread explaining this in more detail.
The fact that a fuss is finally being made in Parliament over this ancient problem – as if it were a new problem – just goes to show the general ignorance of MP’s regarding carers and CA.
It is extraordinary that right wing Labour MPs still think it more important to look after the interests of the State of Israel than concern themselves with going to the media about real wicked oppressive actions like these.There are days when I despair.
I have to say, you talking about the right wing of the Labour party does not have anything to do with the right wing of the Tories. The right wing of the Labour party are a group of politicians who want to live in the style of the rich. However, the right wing of the Tories are concerned more with factory automation, killing off the NHS and removing all security of employment and benefit from the workforce. Unless we focus on their actions and find ways to return a decent living standard to our working people then we are done for. Think man!!
aktion t4 rolling along without much of ado. genocide by your government they all now but still it goes on pushing those into suicide or lingering death all because they want our monies greed
Only yesterday Mrs ‘Mad’ was telling us it’s the ‘conservatives’ that put more money into people’s pockets! How much longer do we all have to put up with these ‘mad’ people? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen such madness!
Is there a competition at the DWP to see which aspect of the Department can sink the lowest? Every day, in every way they crap on the sick, disabled and unwaged from a greater and greater height.
Yet more Nazi party tricks.
the media wouldnt do anything. they are in the cons pocket.. but, as i’ve pointed out on a number of occasions, some carers already lose some of their carers allowance.those who have to claim income support which is a means tested benefit, have their carers allowance taken into account as earnings. when their income support is calculated immaterial that their income support is supposed to be the amount they need to live on and carers allowance is supposed to be to help them do their carers job. and pay for things like busfares etc. so should not be taken into account at all.but it is.