Carers lose £8,215 a year in earnings

Financial compensation through the Carer’s Allowance benefit – provided a carer is eligible by earning under £95 a week – is just £48.65 a week. The findings, published by Carers UK in the report ‘Out of Pocket’, come from a survey¹ of 3,000 carers which shows the extent of the financial difficulties which carers face – particularly older carers in their late fifties and early sixties, and those who are caring for more than 50 hours a week.

Currently around one in five of Northern Ireland’s 185,000 carers have to give up their employment in order to care. Nearly 45 per cent of working age carers say that they would like to work but more than a third (38%) say they cannot work unless they have the right care services.  The same research study finds that a third of carers are in debt and one in ten cannot afford their rent or mortgage.

“This report demonstrates for the first time the extent of the financial penalty carers face through lost earnings” says Helen Ferguson, Director of Carers Northern Ireland.
 
“As well as financial loss there are other consequences to giving up work, such as social isolation, losing workplace skills and reduced confidence. This makes it much harder for carers to return to work in the future. At the same time they are less able to save for their own retirement or future care needs.”

The main reasons that carers are often forced to give up work or reduce their hours are:

•  lack of appropriate support services.  Only 25 per cent say that they have adequate support from formal services for them to be able to combine work and care.
•  a lack of flexibility at work, or unsupportive colleagues
•  benefit rules which stop carers from working or trap them in low-wage jobs.
• a refusal by the person they care for to accept formal care services.

Carers Northern Ireland is calling for:

• A complete overhaul of the way health and social care services are provided, with a much stronger focus on supporting carers with innovative and forward-thinking policies to remain in or return to work.
• Greater investment in social care - improving training, status and pay in the social carer workforce, stimulation of the care market and greater resources for support agencies.
• New legislation to make it illegal to discriminate against carers
• A full review of carers’ benefits
• A new social contract for carers which makes it clear what the state, employers, families and other services will provide, and what individuals have to contribute.
• Better information and advice for carers

“Although we have moved forward in helping working-age carers, there is still a long way to go before carers have a genuine choice about whether they can work or not, or what job they may wish to do.” continues Helen Ferguson.

“Good information and advice plays a crucial role in enabling carers to make choices about their lives. Whether it’s meals on wheels, assistance in the morning, new technology or changing their work patterns, knowing what help is available can give carers the vital choice about staying in work or not.”

“To help carers make these choices, Carers UK has produced a new free guide for carers, to coincide with Carers Rights Day, which informs them of their rights and entitlements.”

‘Looking after someone: a guide to carers’ rights and benefits’ is available free by calling Carers Northern Ireland on 028 9043 9843 or by visiting www.carersni.org.

The theme of Carers Rights Day 2007 is ‘Caring Costs’. In Northern Ireland 18 groups have signed up to take part in events and activities.  This includes an event at Stormont where carers are meeting MLAs to raise awareness of carers’ benefits and their limited rights under current legislation.  The event will be launched by Iris Robinson MP MLA in her role as Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Assembly Health Committee. The event will be closed with a message of support from Bernie Kelly, Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast.

For further information about Carers Rights Day, please visit www.carersni.org