Carers Allowance

Wibbles

Currently paid at just £81.90 per minimum of 35 hours per week

Apparently the Lib Dem leader - Davey - himself a carer for his disabled son, and who also cared for his ill mother when he was younger - is pledging free personal care for
adults in need, including the elderly and disabled.

He says he wants to pay carers an extra £2 an hour above the national
living wage, "a special minimum wage for carers".

He says investing in care would help the NHS, and says a
shortage of healthcare workers has seen the Conservative government allow large
numbers of people from abroad to do the work.

"I respect those people, and they are a doing a good job,
so I'm not being against them," he says, but he asks people to
"imagine a world where we really valued carers in our own country",
saying one way of doing so would be to improve pay.

BUT this is irrelevant - because Carers don't earn any REAL money - so who exactly is he talking about ?

Wibbles

On ITV.COM - He says

"The Lib Dem leader juggles his job with his responsibilities as a carer. Sir Ed's
16-year-old son John can't walk and has only limited speech;
disabilities that mean he will probably need care for the rest of his
life.

For a long time, Sir Ed chose not to talk about it, nor his wife Emily's diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. But recently, he's shared more, in recognition of the millions of carers in the UK who deal with something similar every day."

implying that he is talking about unpaid carers…

Does he mean professional "paid" carers or family/friends/unpaid carers ?

He clearly is unaware that Carers are not exactly "paid"

Did he claim CA when he was looking after his Mother ?

NO - he was only 15 or 16 when she died

Does he claim CA now - for looking after his son

NO - he earns WAY too much

So what on earth is he on about ?

He wants to increase UNPAID CARERS income from £81.90 to £490 per week - which the government will never do……

Wibbles

They would also raise care workers’ pay, by introducing a carer's minimum wage, at £2 above the standard minimum wage.

Davey says this would end the hospital crisis and help people stay in their own homes.

The plans would be funded by reversing tax cuts given to big banks by the Conservatives, covering the estimated £2.7 billion cost by 2028-29.

Davey, who is a carer for his disabled son and previously cared for his sick mother, said the issue was "deeply personal".

He told the BBC: "I want the party to be the voice of carers, partly because I've been a carer most of my life."

Approx 1 million on CA - So that means costs of £490 * 52 * 1 million = £25 billion - but they estimate £2.7 billion

Sorry Ed - it doesn't add up

Wibbles

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/871983#Comment_871983

True - but I am still annoyed !

Wibbles

LIB DEMS MANIFESTO :

Increase Carer’s Allowance and expand eligibility for it by:

• Raising the amount carers can earn and introducing an earnings taper to end the unfair cliff-edge.
• Reducing the number of hours’ care per week required.
• Extending it to carers in full-time education.
   

So the Lib Dems plan to reduce the number of hours required for a claimant to receive CA - Wow !!

Do they somehow make less hours necessary for my wife to care for me ?

And how much do they plan to raise CA to ?

A "living wage" - I very much doubt it

Ed Davey (PART TIME CARER) - claims that he has experienced life living on CA - Sorry but this is a lie - because he was under 16 when he cared for his dying mum - similarly his son, John - who Mr Davey claims he is caring for at present - Mr Davey's income precludes any (legal) claim for CA now - so what GENUINE experience does Mr Davey have of either claiming (or living off) CA ?

I emailed the Lib Dems to ask them this - over a week ago and have received NO response.

Wibbles

MSE asked all of the main parties what they intend to do about carers allowance

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2024/06/the-mse-leaders--debate-2024/#carers

Only one party (Plaid Cymru) plan to increase CA to at least JS rates

Labour appears to think that the main issue is the fact that the government is trying to reclaim overpaid CA - Rather than the amount of money paid !!

The rest had "no real plans" - and Reform UK could not even answer the question