Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of
the report by Carers UK Heading for Crisis, published on 18
October, which showed that 40 per cent of carers receiving Carers
Allowance are in debt and unable to make ends meet; and what
steps they intend to take in response.
(Lab)
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on
the Order Paper. In doing so, I declare an interest as
vice-president of Carers UK.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work
and Pensions () (Con)
The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work is looking
forward to an early meeting with Carers UK to discuss this and
its recent report. Our main conclusion from that helpful report
is that carers in financial need may wish to check whether they
have applied for all the benefits that they are entitled to,
including means-tested benefits. That can provide them with an
extra weekly income and additional help with the cost of living.
For example, carers can get up to £2,000 on the carer’s element
of universal credit.
(Lab)
I thank the Minister for her Answer and for her personal
commitment to this issue. I know she understands the economic
case for supporting carers because they save the nation nearly
£200 billion every year, but I wonder if the Government also
understand that there is a strong political case here too. Some
84% of the general public think the Government should supply more
support for carers, while only yesterday the Association of
Directors of Adult Social Services said that 97% of directors
thought the Government should provide more financial and
practical support for carers. A top-up payment to get them
through the winter and a relaxation of the earnings rule, so that
they could keep more money if they managed to get a job, are
modest enough demands but they would make a huge difference to
carers, to health and to social care, and perhaps even give a
much-needed boost to the Government’s reputation.
(Con)
I accept that the requests in the paper are modest—I really do. I
must pay tribute to the work that carers do; it is much valued
and respected. With regard to a top-up or an extra payment,
unpaid carers can already get a top-up through means-tested
benefits. I re-emphasise that we must make sure that they claim
everything they should. The earnings limit for those in receipt
of carer’s allowance who are able to maintain some contact with
the employment market is currently £132 a week. I have no
information that tells me that that is going to be changed.
(Con)
My Lords, given that many people in ordinary households are very
worried about their fuel bills this coming winter, it seems
highly likely that carers, often with very delicate people to
support, will be even more worried. Can my noble friend offer
them any crumb of comfort?
(Con)
There are two things. We understand the pressures on carers
facing the cost of living crisis, especially around energy costs.
They will get support through the energy price guarantee, which
is supporting millions of households with rising energy costs. I
am just waiting for someone to ask me about uprating. We have
nine minutes to go until the Chancellor’s Statement, and I stand
here in hope.
(LD)
My Lords, carers who care for longer are more likely to be
struggling to meet the cost of living crisis at the moment and
are more likely to be falling into debt. The Carers UK report
shows that that is particularly the case for those who have cared
for over five years. What plans do the Government have to set up
some sort of independent inquiry looking into the relationship
between carers and poverty and to try to come up with some
solutions for bringing unpaid carers out of poverty?
(Con)
My very straightforward answer is that there are no plans for a
review or working group on this. Knowing how vociferous the noble
Baroness is about things that matter to her, I would have thought
that a letter to the Secretary of State would not be a bad
thing.
(Lab)
My Lords, this Minister and other Ministers constantly tell us
that carers are well valued, yet the carer’s allowance continues
to be paid at a lower rate than equivalent benefits, despite the
growing evidence of the serious hardships experienced by carers.
How can this state of affairs be justified? Asking carers to
claim means-tested benefits is not the answer.
(Con)
We should wait and see what the Chancellor says, and I am hopeful
about that. I re-emphasise that means-tested benefits can
increase payments to carers quite significantly. I am sure that,
when Carers UK meet the Minister for Disabled People and talk
about the report, they will discuss in detail some plan to raise
awareness of those benefits.
(Con)
My Lords, in response to the Question from the noble Baroness,
Lady Pitkeathley, my noble friend the Minister replied that
carers are not always aware of all the benefits they are entitled
to. Could my noble friend enlighten the House on what steps the
Government are taking to make sure that more carers are aware of
the benefits available to them?
(Con)
I go back to my previous answer. We have done it for pension
credit, and we have had quite some impact there. I cannot commit
to doing the same for carer’s allowance, but I am sure that, when
Carers UK meet the Minister for Disabled People, that should be
if not number one then number two on the agenda. There are other
ways people can know about those means-tested benefits, including
GOV.UK and through citizens advice bureaux and other
organisations such as Carers UK.
(CB)
My Lords, is the Minister prepared to talk to the Department of
Health and Social Care to see whether there could be an
additional allowance to carers immediately on a relative being
discharged from hospital to try to reduce delayed transfers of
care?
(Con)
I ask my noble friend , “Shall we talk?”. I am very
happy to talk to anybody to make life better for people. Maybe my
noble friend can follow that through in the next Question.
(Lab)
My Lords, the Minister is rightly encouraging people to claim the
benefits to which they are entitled, but can I take her back to
the question asked by her noble friend Lady Fookes? Even people
on benefits may be struggling at this point. The report showed
that those who are caring have extra costs which others do not.
The report was incredibly moving. One person said:
“My son is incontinent … if we don’t wash him in warm water
several times a day this will cause him to physically decline. So
how do we pay for the gas to heat the water if we are currently
at max budget?”
Another said,
“my husband has terminal brain cancer, I am worried about how I
will cope over the winter months as I can’t allow him to be
cold—I need him to be as comfortable as possible in his final
months at home”.
Those who are on just carer’s allowance do not get any extra help
with fuel. What are the Government going to do to see whether the
money given to those who are caring is enough to meet the costs
they encounter?
(Con)
Those who are on carer’s allowance receive the £400. Those who
are on carer’s allowance but who are entitled to the carer’s
element of UC, where they are not required to look for work, can
get another £2,000. The Government are helping, and we are four
minutes away from finding out what more they might do around
energy costs. The stories and case studies that the noble
Baroness read out are harrowing, but the Government are doing
everything they can, within the limits of their financial
position.
(Lab)
My Lords, have the Government given any thought to those people
on carer’s allowance getting automatic increases rather than
having to means test? We already know that means testing makes it
more difficult for claimants to receive the money they need.
(Con)
I think the noble Lord is asking me whether people on carer’s
allowance will automatically get means-tested benefits. There are
other benefits which are means tested and cannot automatically be
applied. I have no information that those rules are to change. I
agree that the noble Lord is justified in his question.
(Con)
My Lords, does my noble friend not think that it is high time we
had a review of the whole basis of social care? I do not know
what the Chancellor is going to announce, but did we not take a
wrong turn when we placed the emphasis on people not having to
sell their family homes, rather than on getting the resources
needed to support professional carers, as well as carers at home,
and on reinforcing support where families take on that
responsibility but are covered by additional help? It really is
urgent, and it is one of the reasons we see ambulances parked
outside hospitals and hospital beds being blocked.
(Con)
I completely agree with my noble friend that the situation is
urgent. We have launched the People at the Heart of Care White
Paper, which set out a 10-year vision for reforming adult social
care. I do not make light of the facts; we are all aware of the
extraordinary position the NHS is in with the backlogs. I am sure
that my noble friend Lord Markham—I am not passing the buck—has
got this under control and will be prepared to share that with
noble Lords.
