Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to
recognise the role of carers in England and their contribution to
the economy.
The Parliamentary Secretary, HM Treasury () (Con)
Carers play a vital role in our communities and we owe them all a
debt of gratitude. The adult social care sector employs 1.5
million people, with Skills for Care estimating that paid carers
contribute around £50 billion to the English economy. In 2016,
the ONS also estimated that the gross value added of unpaid care
in the UK was £59.5 billion. The Government recognise the value
of unpaid carers and provide financial recognition, primarily
through the carer’s allowance.
(Lab)
Yes, the Government are at last starting to recognise the value
of carers. In spite of the excellent work of front-line carers,
the paid-for system remains inadequate, even with the adult
social care Bill—a Private Member’s Bill. We know that it is
inadequate because millions of men and women, and even children,
have to step in as part-time carers, limiting their time in work,
education or training, at great cost to the economy. When are the
Government going to introduce the social and economic reforms to
the social care system that would enable these voluntary
part-time carers to fully participate in and contribute to the
economy?
(Con)
The Government have set out our long-term plan for the reform of
adult social care. In the autumn, we announced that we were
making additional funding of up to £2.8 billion available in
2023-24, and £4.7 billion in the following year. Those decisions
also involved a delay to rolling out some of the reforms that we
had set out, so we will be updating our plan to implement that
vision this spring, setting out the path forward.
The
My Lords, about three years ago, my most reverend friend the
and I commissioned the
Reimagining Care Commission, which the Minister is probably
familiar with. It published its final report the other day. It
sought to reimagine social care for our time, particularly to
answer the question of who is responsible for what, given that it
is not just the Government. Will the Government consider the
commission’s main recommendation—that a national care covenant be
created to set out clearly the mutual responsibilities of the
Government, communities, families, churches and other
organisations around care and support?
(Con)
The Government welcome all contributions and ideas to this space,
and I am sure that we will consider the proposals very carefully.
As I have said, the Government set out their own plans in this
area last year. We will update those plans, looking to put people
at the heart of the social care system, this spring.
(LD)
My Lords, with over 7 million people in the UK juggling work
alongside unpaid care, and continuing to contribute their
much-needed skills to the economy at a time of labour shortages,
will the Government commit to produce a cross-departmental
strategy for unpaid carers? Will the Minister agree to meet me to
discuss how this might best be done?
(Con)
I will happily take the suggestion from the noble Baroness back.
I, or perhaps someone else in the Government, could meet her to
discuss it. She talked about many people juggling unpaid care
with working responsibilities. That is why I am pleased that the
Government are backing the Private Member’s Bill on carer’s
leave, which will provide one week’s unpaid leave for carers.
(Lab)
My Lords, carer’s allowance is the lowest benefit of its kind.
Research by Carers UK found many unpaid carers in poverty and
struggling to make ends meet. Why, therefore, do the Government
continue to refuse calls from Carers UK and others to raise the
real value of carer’s allowance if, as they claim, they genuinely
recognise and value the work that carers do?
(Con)
My Lords, carer’s allowance and the carer’s element of universal
credit will be uprated by inflation this April. For those carers
on low incomes, the Government’s focused cost of living support
will also help. That is worth up to £650 this year and £900 next
year. I believe around 60% of low-income working-age carers are
also in receipt of universal credit, so may be eligible for that
support.
(Con)
My Lords, I was honoured to be a member of the Adult Social Care
Committee over the last year. We produced the report A
“Gloriously Ordinary Life’’: Spotlight on Adult Social Care, led
by the noble Baroness, Lady Andrews. We are still waiting for the
Government to respond. Among the 36 recommendations, we suggested
that:
“The Government should establish in the next 12 months a
Commissioner for Care and Support to act as a champion for older
adults and disabled people and unpaid carers”.
Does the Minister agree?
(Con)
My Lords, I thank the committee for all the work that it has
done. I recognise that there has been a delay in responding to
that report. I cannot pre-empt that response, but I reassure the
noble Lord and all members of the committee that the Government
are looking very carefully at the recommendations and taking them
seriously.
(LD)
My Lords, considering the role of paid carers as well as unpaid,
has the Treasury done any modelling of the effects of raising
carer salaries above the national minimum wage, where many of
them are stuck today? Does the Minister agree that such a move to
lift carer salaries could help with recruitment and retention as
well as boost local economies, where most carer salaries are
spent?
(Con)
My Lords, the Government have considered a number of aspects for
the adult social care workforce, including the support for
training that can be provided and proper recognition of the
profession. Of course, the noble Lord makes a point about pay as
well.
of Darlington (Lab)
My Lords, the Government have long promised an employment Bill,
which would allow Ministers to address some of the specific
issues faced by carers, as well as others who face barriers to
full economic participation. Given the absence of the Bill from
last year’s Queen’s Speech, does it remain the Government’s
intention to bring it forward? If so, when will we see it and, if
not, how else will these issues be addressed?
(Con)
My Lords, perhaps I can pick up on the noble Baroness’s final
point. The Government are supporting the carer’s leave Private
Member’s Bill to provide an entitlement to employees of one week
of unpaid leave per year. We also support the flexible working
Private Member’s Bill, which will make requesting flexible
working an employment right from day 1, also providing more
flexibility for those seeking to balance work and care. We are
seeking to take forward the policies and proposals that we have
set out while we await the arrival of the employment Bill.
(Lab Co-op)
My Lords, the Treasury does not seem to understand that by
spending more money in one area, you can save even more in
another area. If we spend more money in care homes, we can save a
lot of money in the health service. As my noble friend said, if we spend more money on
carers, they can go out to work and help the economy. I have
great faith in the noble Baroness. She has a lot of experience
and is very persuasive. Will she go back to the Treasury and try
to persuade it of this truth?
(Con)
Perhaps I can persuade the noble Lord to have a little more faith
in the Treasury’s attitude towards these things. I set out in an
earlier answer the additional money that is going into social
care this year and next, which was announced alongside healthcare
spending. But the amount that we were putting into social care
was precisely to acknowledge the role it plays, for example, in
reducing delays to discharge that are affecting our health
system.
(Lab)
The noble Baroness will know that if a patient has cancer, they
are entitled to comprehensive healthcare free at the point of
use. If they have dementia, they are subject to a very hard means
test with often wholly inadequate care. Does she think this is
justifiable, with all the challenges we face, particularly for
older people?
(Con)
My Lords, the noble Lord has set out the difficulties that there
can be in drawing the lines between health and social care, but
those distinctions are made in our system and removing them could
have significant cost implications. The Government have set out
their vision for the way forward on social care and will update
it later this year. It is about reforms matched with increased
funding.
