Carer's Allowance - stunned

Lady_K

meema wrote: »

Can you sign their petition & perhaps forward it on to others, I just did but was only signature 400-ish..which isn't very many.

I have such a huge respect for carers, I'm not sure if I could ever do what you do. It must be so invalidating to be doing such a worthwhile job for no pay.

Where is the petition to sign meema please?

meema

Lady_K wrote: »

Where is the petition to sign meema please?

here it is

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-carer-poverty.html

mrsmoneyspender

i have been a carer to my mam for nearly 10 years, it's been hard coping with the finanical side, keeping my family happy, and it can put a strain on marriages.
it's a very demanding ,hard,stressful,lifestyle for very little money
i do this for the love of my mother but i feel i have lost my life at times
i left a good job and have three kids to look after so we all have to do without lots of things, i hope the goverment changes things soon and carers get what they so rightly deserve

jaxw17

I am the primary carer for my son. He has severe mental health problems. I suffer from bad health myself exasbarated by the caring role I have had. I left a job paying 35k a year and because I get a private pension, one I have paid in to, I can't claim any carers allowance.

The professionals who tick a box and claim credit on work that I have done with him get paid considerable amounts for doing so.

meema

Here is a bit more info:

http://www.carersuk.org/Newsandcampaigns/News/1235574299

They worked out that carers are paid £1.44 an hour!

meema

Will just keep adding bits n pieces that I find if that's okay, here is a review of carer's allowance (feb 09)

http://www.official-documents.gov.uk/document/hc0809/hc01/0130/0130.pdf

Just when I thought I couldn't be more shocked..if you are awarded carers allowance at 50 quid a week, the person for whom you are caring loses the severe disability component of their own benefit, which is 50 quid.

Effectively, you are not earning £1.44 an hour, you are quite literally working for free.

Have I read this wrong??

[Deleted User]

Its even worse for those on income support as the carers allowance of £50 per week is counted as income(thereby reducing I/S by £50 per week)and replaced by a premium of around £27 per week,effectively almosy halving the carers allow.

lolababy

Hi my mum has been caring for my brother for the last 38 years and has had carers allowance taken off her income support. Its disgusting that in this day and age carers have to live on a pittance. If my brother had gone into a home it would have cost the goverment a hell of a lot more. Every goverment says it will improve carers pay but they never do.
The way things are going there are going to be more family members giving up work as the population ages. Even carers are in short supply. Its always been a poorly paid job and most people would rather stack shelves than work for less money as a carer.

JG1984

whilst i appreciate 50 a week is better than nothing its a hell of a lot less than what carers deserve, jobseekers get more than carers even some college students get 30 a week ema just for attending college, its insulting that our caring is regarded so low that we get this small sum to take care of everything. Its funny though how to get it we must care for 35 hours a week etc and its classed as income for tax credits and such, if this is the case and its income then why arent we being paid at least the minimum wage?

amersall

meema wrote: »

here it is

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/stop-carer-poverty.html[