Hello all
As Carers UK members, we would really appreciate your support in relation to some new research on carer poverty which we’ve released today and which you may have seen in the news.
Carers UK has published shocking new figures on the scale of financial hardship unpaid carers are in. 1.2 million unpaid carers are living in poverty and 400,000 are living in deep poverty in the UK. Deep poverty is where one’s income is more than 50% below the poverty line.
We are calling on the Government to take urgent steps to improve support offered to unpaid carers:
- As a first step, an increase of £11.10 to Universal Credit Carer Element and Carer Addition in Pension Credit to lift 30,000 people out of poverty and 40,000 people out of deep poverty at a cost of £580 million per year.
- An increase of £36.30 for carers receiving Universal Credit to lift 110,000 people out of poverty and 140,000 out of deep poverty, at a cost of £1.8 billion per year.
- An increase of £36.30 to Carer Addition to Pension Credit to lift 20,000 older carers out of poverty at a cost of £300 million.
- An increase in the earnings limit of Carer’s Allowance to the equivalent of 21 hours at National Living Wage to lift 50,000 people out of poverty at a cost of £90m.
- It is vital that Carer’s Allowance – the main benefit for unpaid carers – is also reviewed as a priority and options are presented by Government to increase the level of support offered to unpaid carers, as well as re-assessing the eligibility criteria to ensure carers in a variety of situations can receive support with their caring role.
Lots of new MPs have been elected to Westminster in July – we need as many of these MPs to hear about the needs and financial struggles of unpaid carers. Please help us by writing to your MP and asking them to raise carer poverty in parliament and also to write to the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves MP, ahead of the upcoming Autumn Budget to urge her to take action to support unpaid carers who are struggling financially.
We have provided a template letter - please take a couple of minutes to contact your MP today. If you are currently caring, please do include your own experience of caring and the impact it has had on your financial situation and any difficulties you may be facing. Please also forward any response you receive from your MP to policy@carersuk.org so that we can follow up with them, if you are happy to do so.
Thank you in advance for your support.
With good wishes
Michael