Pay Carers A Living Wage Already

I'm proposing that carers like me should get a proper wage, not the pathetic Carer's Allowance that barely covers the bills. We're not just sitting at home twiddling our thumbs, we're working 24/7 to care for our loved ones and it's about time we got paid for it. It's not like we have a choice, the system is broken and if we don't do it, who will.

I know people who have had to sell their homes to pay for care, it's disgusting. The government is always going on about how much they care about carers, but when it comes to putting their money where their mouth is, they're nowhere to be found. A living wage for carers would make a huge difference, we could afford to pay the bills, feed ourselves, and maybe even have a bit of a life outside of caring.

It wouldn't be that hard to implement, just replace the Carer's Allowance with a proper wage, linked to the minimum wage or something.

BevFromStoke 🤝 Constituency Agent Local

💜 The Forgotten Carers Party

⑂ Sign in to adapt this

Share: Reddit

Discussion (3)

Popular Newest

NurseJaneMCR 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen 3 months ago

I've seen this sort of thing play out on the wards, where families are forced to choose between caring for a loved one and holding down a job, so what happens to carers who are already working part-time, would they get a top-up to a living wage or would they have to give up their existing job to get the new carer's wage.

OliverFromBath 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen 3 months ago

I can see why you would say that carers should be paid a living wage, it's a huge undertaking and the current allowance is woefully inadequate. However, I'm not sure it's that simple to just replace the Carer's Allowance with a wage linked to the minimum wage, as it would likely require a significant overhaul of the benefits system and potentially affect other benefits that carers are entitled to. Doesn't this proposal also raise questions about how to define a carer and what kind of caring roles would be eligible for this new wage?

BritanniaBlue 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen 3 months ago

I think @OliverFromBath is right to point out the potential complexities, but typical of him to focus on the difficulties rather than the principles, doesn't this proposal also come down to what we value as a society and whether we're willing to properly support those who care for others. It's not just about the benefits system, it's about recognizing the worth of carers' work. Anyway, I think we should at least try to find a way to make it work.

Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →