Disappointment about Carers Bill

‘We were delighted to see Assembly Members willing to tackle the overlapping benefits rule for carers who are pensioners” said Helen Ferguson, Director of Carers Northern Ireland.  “Carers at our last Northern Ireland conference saw this as one of the greatest injustices faced by older carers.  This view is shared by all carers across the UK.  They feel strongly that older carers are not being recognised and respected for what they do, and they want to see the law changed.”

Carers Northern Ireland recognises that there may be difficulties in the Assembly ‘going it alone’ in abolishing the overlapping benefits rule for carers, particularly around the cost and the principle of parity in the benefits system across the UK as a whole.   The Department of Social Development also wants to wait for the results of the review of the National Carers Strategy.  However, many carers are worried that this will not deliver the changes that carers need. 

“Of course we would prefer to see an improvement in benefits for all carers across the UK “, said Helen.  “However, any developments by the Northern Ireland Assembly could have added to the pressure on Government to bring carers' benefits into the 21st Century.  We have seen this before, where carers’ legislation brought in under the previous Assembly later found its way into the law of Scotland, Wales and England”.

“As far as the cost argument goes, we bitterly regret the opportunity MLAs have lost to have a proper debate about just how much money is ‘too much’ to invest in carers.  This Bill could have really challenged the Assembly to ‘put their money where their mouth is’ when it comes to properly supporting Northern Ireland’s 185,000 carers, whose unpaid work is worth £3.12 billion per year to Northern Ireland.”