“Caring for someone can be demanding, both emotionally and financially.”
It has come to my notice that carers who have ill parents are not receiving the wage that is due to them because of some loophole the government has found in the law governing this anomaly. Carers looking after their own parents are unable to earn a living. The government seem to be outwardly covering all aspects regarding persons in the public sector, but have missed this one out that needs urgent redressing.
The living basic wage of a carer is £67.25 to a ceiling of £110.00 per month and if you are retired and receive a government pension but are still caring, the government in their infinite wisdom have counted this as two benefits and the latter will not be paid to a carer and not only that, they have calculated very cleverly if a person pays all their dues, such as stamps etc, they get the highest pension of £700 per month which is above the threshold of a Carer’s Credit Benefit of £695. This amount might have changed since 2016, but for some reason it is hidden from public view.
Obviously by doing the right thing as an honest citizen those concerned are penalised and out of pocket. It almost looks like you have to be dishonest to be given the wage you deserve.
If this payment of £67.25 is not generally known to carers when they move from one part of the United Kingdom to another, a backlog of payments are only given to up to six months. After that petrol money and other outgoing payments have to be made by the patient or the carer.
After promises by the new Government to deliver a solution for the social care crisis, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak did not mention social care in the Government’s first Budget last March 2020.
A quote from: Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK stated: “We are dismayed that Social Care did not get even a mention in the March Budget, after the government’s promise to deliver a solution.”
This is just typical of this government – the non essential stuff like giving Members of Parliament a pay rise and other white elephants. I always wonder about this government. They always plead poverty when it comes to essential services that could make a difference between life and death. We must take into account that this is the party that closes down establishments, especially Care Homes and other essential services!
How much is a loaf of bread? The answer is on average £1.10. Bearing that sum in mind and with the usual items of shopping and in some cases for two households, if the carer lives in another property this can escalate to a higher price range. Other commodities have to be considered such as Council Tax, Road Tax, Petrol, MOT, maintaining the car for road use which is most important plus any other contingencies that may bring more pressures to bear in caring for the patient
The medical problems that a Carer has to deal with to get their patient to a hospital or surgery for essential treatment can be on a regular basis and having to travel, sometimes on long journeys can be stressful at the best of times, knowing how busy traffic can be.
The government knew of the existing problems with the Care Organisation needing an influx of funds to ease the overbearing pressures which carers were experiencing and wasn’t it the Prime Minister that stated that this new government was a caring government, yet they would rather spend BILLIONS on a new RAILWAY SYSTEM and NEW ROADS, carving up more of the countryside that puts more carbon rating up and replacing our green fields with granite graves.
The trouble with this Conservative government it doesn’t honour or keep to the promises it made to the voters that got them to the seat of power!
I find this a fruitless exercise with this existing COVID-19 killing off our nation. There are more important issues at stake than a government trying to make a name for themselves and to go down in history that they did it their way at the expense of the caring fraternity.
Surely, persons with any ounce of sense can see that carers are not magicians, they can’t wave a wand in the air and supply the necessary wherewithal like food, medicine and other essentials without dipping into their own pockets. I conducted a feasibility study on a company that deals with carers calling on persons homes and I was astonished how much being an invalid costs to stay alive!
The above is just my opinion and anyone who wants to write to me care of the newspaper regarding the content – please do so! Swear words are not accepted.
