Carers Allowance - justfication for rate

Wibbles

How do DWP justify such a low rate for CA ?

They require the carer to wotk for a minimum of 35 hours a week at a pay rate of considerably less than £2 per hour !

What do Europe / US pay their carers ?

The alternative in many cases is paying £1000 per week +  for professional carers - so (family) carers are USED to save the country £billions

Its about time that carers were paid a living wage ...

woodbine

CA like all benefits will increase in April by 10.1% taking the payment to around £77 a week but have to agree even that will be too low.

I feel even more for young people who care for a parent and get no payment whatsoever.

Wibbles

woodbine said:

CA like all benefits will increase in April by 10.1% taking the payment to around £77 a week but have to agree even that will be too low.

I feel even more for young people who care for a parent and get no payment whatsoever.

I agree - the government has always used, severely underpaid private individuals to do their dirty work and will no doubt always do so 

bg844

Agreed, quite appalling really and I know that they can get a top-up from Universal Credit but even then it’s still very low. 

Wibbles

bg844 said:

Agreed, quite appalling really and I know that they can get a top-up from Universal Credit but even then it’s still very low. 

Not when she (or I) have a relatively small amount in savings !

poppy123456

Agreed it's very low. However, if someone is claiming another benefit as well such as Income Support/UC/Income Related ESA then it's just deducted in full so it makes no difference anyway.

For UC you don't need to claim CA to be entitled to carers element, however, if someone is already claiming LCWRA for theirself they can't receive the carers element at the same time.

Wibbles said:

bg844 said:

Agreed, quite appalling really and I know that they can get a top-up from Universal Credit but even then it’s still very low. 

Not when she (or I) have a relatively small amount in savings !

It depends on how much savings you have. If it's more than £16,000 then yes, you're both excluded from all means tested benefits. If it's less than £16,000 then there's a £4.35/month deduction for every £250 or part there of over £6,000.

Wibbles

poppy123456 said:

Agreed it's very low. However, if someone is claiming another benefit as well such as Income Support/UC/Income Related ESA then it's just deducted in full so it makes no difference anyway.

For UC you don't need to claim CA to be entitled to carers element, however, if someone is already claiming LCWRA for theirself they can't receive the carers element at the same time.

Wibbles said:

bg844 said:

Agreed, quite appalling really and I know that they can get a top-up from Universal Credit but even then it’s still very low. 

Not when she (or I) have a relatively small amount in savings !

It depends on how much savings you have. If it's more than £16,000 then yes, you're both excluded from all means tested benefits. If it's less than £16,000 then there's a £4.35/month deduction for every £250 or part there of over £6,000.

It's more than £16k but since I took medical retirement (first time) at age 47
It's going to have to last us up to another 50 years!
And she's not claiming any other benefits 

Wibbles

The nearest that I can find in the US is "caregivers allowance" for Veterans carers
And as long as you fit the bill - you receive up to $2803 per month !!

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers

This program provides a monthly stipend to family members who serve as caregivers for veterans who need assistance with everyday activities because of a serious injury or illness sustained in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975, or on or after Sept. 11, 2001. (Benefits will be extended in October 2022 to veterans who suffered a service-related disability between those dates.)

The veteran must be enrolled in VA health services, have a disability rating (individual or combined) of 70 percent or higher, and need either personal care related to everyday activities or supervision or protection because of their condition. The caregiver must be 18 or older and a child, parent, spouse, stepfamily member, extended family member or full-time housemate of the veteran.

The stipends are based on federal pay rates for the region where an eligible veteran lives. The caregiver receives 62.5 percent or 100 percent of the pay rate, depending on the level of supervision and help with daily activities the veteran needs. A family caregiver in Dallas, for example, would receive $1,752 or $2,803 a month, according to a VA fact sheet on the program.

Golden12

Carer's Allowance is worth £69.70 per week.
This definitely needs a review a change definitely as a carer does far more it’s unfair has to do 35 hours its underpaid. Look at if u go to work this doesn’t even cover one day if you went to work. Disabled people are left to fend for themselves. 

 live-in carer is paid between £770/week and £1,134/week depending on who they work for and the complexity of the job. 

Wibbles

Golden12 said:

Carer's Allowance is worth £69.70 per week.
This definitely needs a review a change definitely as a carer does far more it’s unfair has to do 35 hours its underpaid. Look at if u go to work this doesn’t even cover one day if you went to work. Disabled people are left to fend for themselves. 

 live-in carer is paid between £770/week and £1,134/week depending on who they work for and the complexity of the job. 

My wife does everything for me 
Plus she has her own health issues to contend with 
She also has to do the gardening, shopping, driving etc etc 
It's about time that someone started to campaign for better treatment for carers 

Luna51

The current Government's response to increasing C.A (possibly to the miminum wage) was that it was never intended to be a wage, but simply a top up for those "Volunteering" to give care.
My heart sank when I read that statement, in my case (and for the majority of carers I'm sure) I am a carer because I love the people I care for. 
However, f I decided to stop "volunteering" what then? 
It would cost a lot more to care for two young adults through social services, that's for sure. 

Basically carers have been (and continue to be) ignored, because we won't stop caring and the Government knows it! 

Wibbles

Luna51 said:

The current Government's response to increasing C.A (possibly to the miminum wage) was that it was never intended to be a wage, but simply a top up for those "Volunteering" to give care.
My heart sank when I read that statement, in my case (and for the majority of carers I'm sure) I am a carer because I love the people I care for. 
However, f I decided to stop "volunteering" what then? 
It would cost a lot more to care for two young adults through social services, that's for sure. 

Basically carers have been (and continue to be) ignored, because we won't stop caring and the Government knows it! 

I think that "used" is a better description 

2oldcodgers

Wibbles said:

The nearest that I can find in the US is "caregivers allowance" for Veterans carers
And as long as you fit the bill - you receive up to $2803 per month !!

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers

This program provides a monthly stipend to family members who serve as caregivers for veterans who need assistance with everyday activities because of a serious injury or illness sustained in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975, or on or after Sept. 11, 2001. (Benefits will be extended in October 2022 to veterans who suffered a service-related disability between those dates.)

The veteran must be enrolled in VA health services, have a disability rating (individual or combined) of 70 percent or higher, and need either personal care related to everyday activities or supervision or protection because of their condition. The caregiver must be 18 or older and a child, parent, spouse, stepfamily member, extended family member or full-time housemate of the veteran.

The stipends are based on federal pay rates for the region where an eligible veteran lives. The caregiver receives 62.5 percent or 100 percent of the pay rate, depending on the level of supervision and help with daily activities the veteran needs. A family caregiver in Dallas, for example, would receive $1,752 or $2,803 a month, according to a VA fact sheet on the program.

Don't get me started on what happens to Vets in the UK. We are supposed to get priority treatment from the NHS and free counselling. 

Instead of looking at the 'money minded' folk in the USA. Take a leaf out of the book as to what happens in Asian countries. The younger generation take the older generation and those that need care into their own homes but don't get any compensation. Surely what should be happening is that families should be caring for those that can't care for themselves. My family has already got this in place where both of our daughters have a home big enough for us when the times comes.

Wibbles

2oldcodgers said:

Wibbles said:

The nearest that I can find in the US is "caregivers allowance" for Veterans carers
And as long as you fit the bill - you receive up to $2803 per month !!

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers

This program provides a monthly stipend to family members who serve as caregivers for veterans who need assistance with everyday activities because of a serious injury or illness sustained in the line of duty on or before May 7, 1975, or on or after Sept. 11, 2001. (Benefits will be extended in October 2022 to veterans who suffered a service-related disability between those dates.)

The veteran must be enrolled in VA health services, have a disability rating (individual or combined) of 70 percent or higher, and need either personal care related to everyday activities or supervision or protection because of their condition. The caregiver must be 18 or older and a child, parent, spouse, stepfamily member, extended family member or full-time housemate of the veteran.

The stipends are based on federal pay rates for the region where an eligible veteran lives. The caregiver receives 62.5 percent or 100 percent of the pay rate, depending on the level of supervision and help with daily activities the veteran needs. A family caregiver in Dallas, for example, would receive $1,752 or $2,803 a month, according to a VA fact sheet on the program.

Don't get me started on what happens to Vets in the UK. We are supposed to get priority treatment from the NHS and free counselling. 

Instead of looking at the 'money minded' folk in the USA. Take a leaf out of the book as to what happens in Asian countries. The younger generation take the older generation and those that need care into their own homes but don't get any compensation. Surely what should be happening is that families should be caring for those that can't care for themselves. My family has already got this in place where both of our daughters have a home big enough for us when the times comes.

What if the person has no family or family member has their own problems ?

2oldcodgers

The point that I was trying to get over is that looking after a vulnerable member of a family should be the responsibility of the family at large.
I looked after my now deceased father who came to live with us and at no time did I think that I should be compensated at a decent hourly rate by the government for looking after him. I didn't even claim Carers Allowance either. It's what families do or should do.
No one is compelled to look after anyone it is done out of family loyalty and simple caring for others.
Those without any family would be the responsibility of Social Services.

Wibbles

2oldcodgers said:

The point that I was trying to get over is that looking after a vulnerable member of a family should be the responsibility of the family at large.
I looked after my now deceased father who came to live with us and at no time did I think that I should be compensated at a decent hourly rate by the government for looking after him. I didn't even claim Carers Allowance either. It's what families do or should do.
No one is compelled to look after anyone it is done out of family loyalty and simple caring for others.
Those without any family would be the responsibility of Social Services.

In an ideal world yes I agree but it doesn't work like that.