MP joins celebrities to back Carers Week by tabling Commons Motion

Warrington North MP HELEN JONES is joining top celebrities, including Fiona Phillips, Gloria Hunniford, Sally Lindsay, Lacey Turner and David Jason to lend her support to the 12th annual Carers Week (12 – 18 June).

Carers Week seeks to raise awareness of the 6 million carers in the UK today – people who look after a sick, frail or disabled friend or loved one.

The MP will today table an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons which recognises that many carers wish to work on top of providing care for an elderly or sick dependent. She is calling on the government to extend the right to flexible, fulfilling employment alongside the caring role by abolishing the ‘gainfully employed’ rule that prevents carers from earning more than £84 per week whilst claiming carers allowance of £46.95 per week.

HELEN JONES said:

“ One in ten adults is a carer and the majority perform a hugely valuable role without any financial recognition. However many wish to work and need to do so to make ends meet. Abolishing the ‘gainfully employed’ rule will give carers a better chance of securing flexible and fulfilling jobs alongside their caring role as well as giving employers the flexibility that they need from their staff. “

Carers Week is organised by a partnership of eight UK-wide charities; Carers UK, Crossroads Caring for Carers, Counsel and Care; Help the Aged, Macmillan Cancer Support, MS Society, Rethink and The Princess Royal Trust for Carers.

• The Early Day Motion tabled by Helen Jones MP is entitled ‘Supporting Carers to Work Flexibly’ and reads:

This House fully appreciates the valuable role performed by 6 million carers in the UK, in the majority of cases without any financial recognition from the state; recognises that many carers wish to work and need to do so to make ends meet, on top of providing more than 35 hours per week of care for an elderly or sick dependent; congratulates the Government on plans to extend the right to request flexible work to carers from April 2007; encourages the Government to ensure that this right is extended to include the widest possible range of carers; further urges the Government to enable carers to combine flexible and fulfilling employment with their caring role, and to give employers the flexibility that they need from their staff, by abolishing the ‘gainfully employed’ rule that prevents carers from earning more than £84 per week whilst claiming Carers Allowance of £49.95 per week.