Tenerife Home Care

Carers ‘Should Be Given More Help’

August 29, 2008 on 9:21 am | In Home Care, News Articles | 2 Comments

So says one of the headlines on Sky News this morning.  Here is the article in full:

The benefits system for unpaid carers is “outdated” and the Government should provide extra financial help to support them, MPs said.

People who care for relatives and friends saved the taxpayer an estimated £87 billion every year and they should receive more assistance, the Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee said.

Carers struggled to remain in work because of a lack of affordable, reliable and flexible care services and they often suffered “opportunity penalties”, finding their vocational skills became rusty and out of date.

In it latest report, the committee recommends income replacement for those who have to work part-time or are unable to work because of their commitments, and compensation for the extra costs incurred from providing “intensive” caring roles.

The MPs say they are “disappointed” the Government had not directly addressed financial help for carers in its Carers Strategy and that the group were only identified as a long-term priority from 2011.

The committee’s report said: “We believe that the current system of benefits for carers is outdated and we recommend the introduction of two distinctive ‘tiers’ of support for carers, offering income replacement support for carers unable to work, or working only part-time, and compensation for the additional costs of caring for all carers in intensive caring roles.”

Labour MP Terry Rooney, who chairs the committee, said: “Caring matters deeply to individuals, families and society in general.

“Sustaining the ability of carers to provide the care and support they give to others is of critical importance.”

Source: Sky News