As a pensioner carer .I get nothing.
Carers Allowance is around £60 a week, a fraction of the minimum wage.
No right to holiday pay, respite, time off.
The government can’t afford an increase, we are told. We’ve seen an enormous spending spree due to Covid, and now the Defence budget has gone up billions?!?!?!
I used to be tall, slim, fit as a flea. After 40 years of caring, 10 carers in total, I have poor health. As my consultant said “25 years without a holiday didn’t do you any favours!”.
Lockdown has made life even more difficult, many services closed, others offering limited services, increasing pressure on hard pressed carers.
In theory every single carer should have direct payments as a right, enabling family carers to be cared. Blocked in most authorities.
My son has 34 hours of Dom care funded. If I take him away on holiday, I should be able to claim those hours instead. Blocked.
The government is now funding extra for apprentices…!
Clearly our lives just don’t matter.
Me too: a couple of times recently I’ve mentioned to “health professionals” that I’ve not had a day off since Nov 2014, and it just goes a bit quiet, they don’t know what to say,(or do).
I could get respite care of two hours per week, and I could let it build up, but I very much doubt that I could phone up and say I want a respite carer tomorrow - with all of the reasons that I might want a longer break than the couple of hours I already take in the afternoon being weather dependant, having to organise it days (or weeks probably) in advance is of no use to me at all.
I looked after my friend including night care and emergency care for years and years.
I am not entitled to carers allowance as i am on long term sickness pay.
So have not received a penny for thousands of hours of caring.
Respite? whats that? was never offered a night off, weekend off.
I haven’t had a carers assessment for years, the council, the local carers centre, the GP all know i am an unpaid
carer but no help and support was ever offered.
I have just tried contacting the Council for help and support, waited 26 minutes on the phone and gave up.
Exactly, that is the reality for many.
Compare this to my friend living in Western Australia. Leonora was a retired hospital matron, caring for her 90+ year old mum, also a retired matron. She had guaranteed time off, up to 6 weeks a year. All she had to do was book a bed in advance, then plan her holiday in the UK, or wherever else she wanted to go!