We need to support our carers says MP

- ‘ AN MBE IS NOT MUCH USE TO PEOPLE WHO CANNOT PAY THEIR BILLS OR WHO FACE POVERTY IN OLD AGE ‘ - Warrington North MP HELEN JONES has brought the campaign to abolished the ‘gainfully employed’ rule for carers to the floor of the House of Commons. The MP secured an Adjournment Debate on the issue this week.

Currently if carers earn more than £84 per week or study for more than 21 hours per week they lose all their carers allowance. The MP wants a review of the system which will abolish these rules and allow carers to work or study and receive full carers allowance.

At present 80% of carers are of working age and they make up 12% of the workforce. The present system means many do not receive the support they need or it becomes financially unviable for them to work. It is estimated that one in three carers who are currently not in paid employment would like to be if they had the opportunity.

HELEN JONES said:

“ It costs on average £377 per week to keep someone in a local council home and £1,000 per week to keep someone in an acute hospital ward. Carers take that cost from the state and save our economy around £57 billion a year. In return we give them very little. We have to do better.

“ The economic argument for scraping the gainfully employed rule is strong but it is also a matter of justice. One in five carers have had to cut back on food, one in three find it difficult to pay utility bills and 4 out of ten find that trying to pay for support services causes financial hardship.

“ The Chancellor has said that the honours system needs to reward people such as carers and home helps. I agree 100% but I am sure he

would agree with me when I say that an MBE is not much use to people who cannot pay their bills or who face poverty in old age. “

In replying for the government Works & Pensions Minister Anne McGuire said she had asked her officials to examine issues raised by HELEN JONES and that a working group, including Carers UK, was being established which will also examine many of the points raised in the debate.

After the debate HELEN JONES said:

“ It was important to raise these issues and I am pleased that consideration is to be given to the concerns I raised. We must wait to see what comes out of the working group but in the meantime I will continue to press for a change in the law with regard to the gainfully employed rule. “