Launch of cross- government Carers Action Plan

Carers UK news and campaigns
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Yesterday, the Government launched a cross-government Carers Action Plan signed by four Ministers, across health and social care, welfare, work and education. It includes a number of significant developments for carers in the last couple of years – taking action for carers further than before. Carers UK, along with other charities who support Carers Week, has been calling for cross-government action for a number of years and this Carers Action Plan is a welcome first step.

Carers’ support has been estimated to be worth £152 billion a year in England, and yet they face challenges juggling paid work with their caring responsibilities, are less likely to be in paid work and more likely to face poverty and be in poor health. Most people don’t have a choice about the amount of care they provide, which for many has increased significantly in recent years. Carers want to see a better future for themselves and others providing unpaid care.

This plan includes a number of key actions including changes to carers’ benefits and a call for evidence from the DWP; a consultation on future workplace rights, including paid carer’s leave and an extended period of unpaid leave, plus future developments with the NHS App and Single Patient Record that should better enable support for carers in managing care. The plan also heralds a Carers Charter setting out carers’ rights and entitlements. The plan also sets out a commitment to pull together information for unpaid carers on the main government website: gov.uk in response to need-to-know entitlements and earlier support.

Emily Holzhausen CBE, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Carers UK said:

“This is a positive step forwards for unpaid carers, recognising that all too often they face fragmented services, barriers to support and a lack of recognition for the essential role they play looking after family and friends.

“Carers’ lives do not fit neatly within the remit of a single department. The challenges they face span health, social care, employment, education, housing and welfare. Carers UK is encouraged to see a more joined-up approach, bringing government departments together to prioritise carers’ needs, outline who is responsible and how progress can be tracked. For carers, this means a better chance of seeing meaningful improvements.

“Today’s action plan commits to annual public reporting, providing greater transparency and accountability within government. Given the growing amount of unpaid care provided by families and close friends up and down the country, it is an important milestone and one we hope will be a catalyst for further progress.

“There are also critical decisions for the future that could positively impact carers’ lives – such as the outcome of the Casey Commission. If there is more investment in social care and breaks for carers, it could transform many families’ lives, including helping them to juggle work and care.

“Carers UK hopes this Action Plan can be a stepping stone towards a well-funded, cross-government national carers strategy, something we have long campaigned for as the best way to deliver lasting change for unpaid carers across every aspect of their lives.”

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Yet again we are called “unpaid carers” when some of us are working 168 hours a week. Still classed as “economically inactive” when if someone else does it then exactly the same tasks become “economically active”. Unpaid carers save the government a fortune, already established, what we do needs to be recognised as work, with all the rights that entails. Sick pay, holiday pay, minimum wage. There is so much about staff shortages, bed blockers etc. Often there may be family members willing to care, but financially unable to give up work to live just on Carers Allowance. In theory family carers should be entitled to Direct Payments from the LA. I’ve tried, repeatedly, to get DP’s for periods home, but the LA invent all sorts of excuses as to why they won’t or cannot pay me. I cared for my son for many years, until I was too ill. Now 74, I realise that thee is another penalty for being an unpaid carer. I qualify for the basic pension, but all my friends also have occupational pensions from work. I don’t have any top ups like this. My late husband wanted to set up a private pension for me, but at that time it wasn’t allowed as I “wasn’t working”!! The final injustice for carers is that if they earn over a certain amount, their Carers Allowance, which requires 35 hours a week to qualify, is then taken away. There is no other situation I can think of when pay from the first job is taken away when there is a second job???

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you have raised some really good points, but the one that had not even occurred to me and i have just turned 65 after several years of being a full time unpaid carer on just carers allowance for part of that time, is the point you make about the loss of pension income. we need to make people in the positions of influence understand that being a carer is a job either on its own or as a second job as you rightly point out.

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The timing of this is unfortunate, as the four ministers are unlikely to remain in post for more than a couple of weeks.

I know Andy Burnham has made social care a key area (no details, though), but I want to know about his plans for carers, and especially this part.