Posts Tagged ‘carers allowance’

The National Pensioners Convention is in full support of your demand for the Government to make clear its intentions towards the future of the Carer’s Allowance.

As you know, our main concern has been for those carers of pensionable age who are currently denied a carer’s allowance, because they also get a state pension. At the very time when as an older carer you need more financial support, the system takes it away. That has got to stop.

Many of those politicians who call for cuts to the welfare state – of which the carer’s allowance is obviously a part – seem to forget the tremendous contribution that people are making to society by providing unpaid care services every day of the year. Without this army of unpaid carers, the country would have to find billions of pounds to fund social care. It is therefore time that unpaid carers received the proper recognition and support that they deserve.

Good luck to your campaign.

Dot Gibson
General Secretary
National Pensioners Convention

I just thought I’d send you a copy of our latest update, which includes information about Carer Watch, in the News section at the beginning. I’ll put this on the agenda for our meeting this week and get a message of support to you soon.

All the best,
Sarah

Sarah Evans
Chair
Hampshire Labour Representation Committee

As a carer of someone with a life limiting illness, I strongly support Carer Watch’s position and thoroughly endorse the content of this note.  Amidst a tsunami of cuts, we need absolute clarity about the future of the Carers Allowance – its independent existence and the values by which it will be raised year on year.

Regards

Mark

Although there have been many promises that carers will be recognised and supported, there has been little action. You have my support for this important campaign to secure proper recognition and financial backing for carers. We need as a matter of urgency a statement from the Government about the future of carers allowance

John McDonnell

Carer Watch call upon the Coalition Government,to recognise the ESSENTIAL role that Carers play in the running of our society and to make a statement regarding the future of Carers Allowance 

So what lies ahead for family carers?  Families providing care are a necessity and as the number of elderly increases and medicine breakthroughs continue, many people with illnesses will live longer…and the country will rely even more on the foundation that family carers provide.  Carers are a group of people who provide a vital service, yet governments past and present have taken them for granted, have taken their Love for granted.

We cannot, and must not, allow this to continue

2010 witnessed failure after failure by the Coalition government to address the needs of carers. Before the election carer issues were high on the agenda and even included in TV Party Leader debates, but as soon as the election was over carers once again became invisible. For far too long the issue of Carers Benefits has been swept under the carpet, put on the back burner by past and present governments. Now we are facing a climate of severe cuts with all the implications for the Local Authorities.

But the greatest threat to carers comes from the reform of the benefit system. Will carers be protected or lost in the drive to cut back welfare. Now we have the proposal of a Universal Credit . The Coalition as yet has given no concrete details as to their intentions regarding carers’ benefits. Carer Watch have great concerns that Carers Allowance could be targeted as a benefit to be subsumed in the UC.

Research in to the history of the carers’ movement shows us the battles undertaken by many women and their supporters to gain full recognition and identity for carers. Carer Watch believe that the Coalition must keep carers benefits separate from the main system.  We feel that any move by government to transfer carers to a Universal credit will take the carers movement back decades.

We need to raise our voices now and make them aware of our feelings and our anger that they are not addressing these issues with great urgency.

Therefore, Carer Watch call upon the Coalition Government, to recognise the ESSENTIAL role that Carers play in the running of our society and to make a statement regarding the future of Carers Allowance.

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