This petition was submitted during the 2019-2024 parliament

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Petition Increase Carers Allowance to equal 35hrs at National Minimum Wage

Carers Allowance is currently £269 per month for 35 hours a week, which works out at roughly £1.92 per hour. National Minimum Wage for 18 year olds is currently £6.56 per hour. Carers Allowance is a taxable benefit and treated as a wage by the DWP.

More details

Each carer saves the economy roughly 19k a year (https://www.carersuk.org/news-and-campaigns/press-releases/facts-and-figures) but receives a wage of £3238 per year. Caring is not normally a 35 hour a week job and some are caring for multiple family members with the increased costs associated with disabilities. Anybody could become a carer at any time of life, just as anybody could become disabled. Accidents and illnesses happen.
For govt info see https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance

This petition is closed This petition ran for 6 months

26,454 signatures

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Government responded

This response was given on 22 April 2021

Carer’s Allowance is a benefit that provides some financial recognition that a carer may not be able to work full-time. It is part of a range of support based on individual needs, rather than a wage.

Read the response in full

This Government recognises the very important role that unpaid and family carers make in providing significant care and continuity of support to family and friends, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, unpaid carers have played a vital role in helping to support the most vulnerable. This is why we have made sure unpaid carers are considered in the development of policies throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and that they have been prioritised for a range of support.

It is important to emphasise that Carer’s Allowance is not intended to be a replacement for a wage nor payment for the services of caring and is therefore not comparable with either the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage. The principal purpose of Carer's Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who choose to give up the opportunity of full-time work to provide regular care for a severely disabled person.

Unpaid carers are overwhelmingly caring for a family member or friend, rather than someone unknown to them. The amount of unpaid caring they undertake, and its intensity, will differ from carer to carer, as will their reasons and motivation for accepting caring responsibilities. Many can successfully combine caring with some employment, so will continue to have income from paid employment. Those unpaid carers who do need financial support may be able to get help from the benefits system – and not only from Carer’s Allowance, but from a range of means-tested benefits as well.

Carers on low incomes can claim income-related benefits, such as Universal Credit, alongside Carer’s Allowance. Universal Credit can be paid to carers at a higher rate than those without caring responsibilities through the carer element. In April 2021, the Universal Credit carer element increased to £163.73 per monthly assessment period. Between the existing carer-specific support, and the temporary COVID-19 uplift, around 315,000 carer households receiving Universal Credit benefitted from up to an extra £2,990 during the 20/21 financial year.

This year the Government will pay around £3.2 billion in Carer’s Allowance and by 2025-26 this will rise to £4 billion in real terms, more than doubling from £1.9 billion in 2010/11.
A National Insurance Class 1 credit is generally awarded for each week that Carer’s Allowance is paid to a working-age carer. Class 1 credits can help towards the conditions of entitlement to all contributory benefits, as well as the new State Pension. Receipt of Carer’s Allowance also exempts the carer from the benefit cap.

Carer’s Allowance permits carers to undertake some part-time work if they can do so, without this affecting their entitlement. The earnings limit recognises the benefits of staying in touch with the workplace, including greater financial independence and social interaction.

To better support those carers able to combine some paid work with their caring duties, the 2019 Conservative manifesto committed to introducing an entitlement to leave for unpaid carers, the majority of whom are women.

A consultation on Carer’s Leave ran from March to August 2020, setting out detailed policy proposals to create new employment right for one week’s unpaid leave. The consultation received a significant number of responses, demonstrating the importance of this area. The Government response will be published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in due course.

Department for Work and Pensions

MPs to debate support for unpaid carers

MPs will debate support for unpaid carers and Carers Week 2021 on Thursday 22 July in Westminster Hall. The debate will be led by Ed Davey MP and Wera Hobhouse MP.

This will be a general debate. General debates allow MPs to debate important issues, however they do not end in a vote nor can they change the law.

The debate will start at around 3.15pm.

Watch the debate:
https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/8527b0c7-697c-4f92-8a95-b8624f324783

You'll be able to read a transcript of the debate a few hours after it happens:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-07-22

Find out more about how Parliamentary debates work:
https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/

Carer's allowance to be debated by MPs

On Wednesday 30 March, MPs will take part in a Westminster Hall debate on carer's allowance. The debate will be led by Karl Turner MP. The debate will start at 2:30pm and last for up to 90 minutes.

Watch the debate here on Wednesday: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/1cc2eace-1e7d-4886-84bb-7733899cf015

You'll be able to read a transcript of the debate a few hours after it happens: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-03-30

The House of Commons Library will also publish a research briefing on this issue before the debate: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2022-0071/

What is a Westminster Hall debate?

Westminster Hall is the second chamber of the House of Commons. Westminster Hall debates give MPs an opportunity to raise local and national issues and receive a response from a government minister. Westminster Hall debates are general debates that do not end in a vote.

Find out more about Westminster Hall debates: https://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/debates/westminster-hall-debates/

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Share your views on the cost of living and financial support for disabled people

The MPs on the Petitions Committee have scheduled a debate on two petitions about the cost of living and financial support for disabled people:

Marsha De Cordova MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, has been asked to open the debate, which will take place on Monday 22 May.

Share your views

To inform the debate, we would like to hear from you about your experiences of and views on the cost of living and financial support for disabled people and people with a long-term health condition.

You can share your views with us by completing this survey

The survey is also available in the following formats:

The survey will close on 31 March.

A summary of responses will be published on the Parliament website. It will also be shared with MPs and may be referred to in the debate or within other parliamentary documents. Please don't share anything that may identify you.

Watch the debate

The debate will take place on Monday 22 May at 4.30pm.

A British Sign Language translation of the debate will also be made available on Parliament Live TV.

What are petition debates?

Petition debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.

Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs will not vote on financial support for disabled people at the end of the debate.

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Sign up to the Your UK Parliament newsletter for the latest information on how to get involved and make a difference.

Share your experiences for a debate on National Carers Week and respite for carers

On Thursday 8 June, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP will lead a debate in Parliament entitled ‘National Carers Week and respite for carers’.

To inform the debate, she would like to hear about your experiences of providing unpaid care, and insights on support for carers. She may quote your contribution directly during her debate.

Find out more and share your experiences with her by midday on Wednesday 7 June:

Videos of the debate, the transcript of what was said, and other relevant material will be accessible from 8 June on this webpage.

What are backbench business debates?

Backbench business debates give backbenchers (MPs who aren’t ministers or shadow ministers) an opportunity to secure a debate on a topic of their choice, either in the main House of Commons Chamber or Westminster Hall, the second chamber of the House of Commons.

MPs can make a request for a debate to the Backbench Business Committee, who hears requests and decides which debates to schedule.

Backbench debates can either be general debates (which do not end in a vote) or be on a substantive motion (which calls for an action and can end in a vote). This will be a general debate.

MPs examine Carer's Allowance

A group of MPs called the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee held an evidence session looking at Carer's Allowance on Wednesday 6 March.

At the evidence session, MPs questioned policy experts and also heard from a carer. The aim of this session was to explore claimants' experiences of receiving Carer's Allowance and consider how it could be modernised.

What is an evidence session?

An evidence session is when a group of MPs - called a committee - invite experts and people with experience of a certain issue to answer questions about it. This helps the committee understand more about the issue.

What is the Work and Pensions Committee?

The Work and Pensions Committee is a group of MPs from different political parties that look into the policies and spending of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), including benefits for people in and out of work, state pensions and the regulation of private pensions. It also scrutinises DWP's public bodies and other regulators.

The Work and Pensions Committee is a select committee.
Find out how select committees work.

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