Have the government ever justified the incredible decrease in financial support for carers switching to UC? 
The Carers Allowance rate is £292.93 pcm while the UC Carer’s Element is only £163.73 pcm.
On current form, I doubt this government could justify anything…but the Carer’s Element of UC doesn’t serve the same purpose as Carers Allowance. It’s a top-up similar to the Carers Premium in Income Support, rather than a complete benefit.
Carers Allowance, on the other hand, is the lowest benefit of its kind, and all because it was initially set at the same level as a “dependent’s” benefit. Because, at the time of creating “Invalid Care Allowance”, it was solely aimed at single women caring for elderly parents. Unfortunately, the government has not changed its thinking on this in any practical terms since 1974.