Launch of 'Caring Behind Closed Doors' report

[Mike O'Brien]

Just some acknowledgement from the government that we even exist would be nice. At the moment it seems like we’re just entirely forgotten about and that our needs and wellbeing don’t matter.

[Jayne_20041]

When the government acknowledged Carers, be it paid or unpaid Carers, the acknowledgment was for all Carers. On the actual Care Badge site, there’s the official statement.

As I read it it was to benefit all Carers, including unpaid Carers. This was to be launched in June to the wider caring community. Carer UK, we need you to push for clarification on this.

Everyday I see things offered to social care workers and paid workers, yet those who work 24/7, 365 days a year, with no external home to go to, to leave work, at work or no holidays away from their caring responsibilities, get nothing. Yep, there’s Carers Allowance.... Attendance Allowance....

There’s families out there that although would qualify for either, but their earnings means they can’t officially receive them. ( Not in my case, but I’m sympathetic to their needs, too.)

I feel us Unpaid Carers are totally ignored, and everyone seems dis interested in what we do or how we feel.

Many of us have given up our careers, because of caring responsibilities and childcare, was an issue for disabled children. Relying on one wage, from a partner or husband. I for one can’t work around my husbands hours as he’s on call most of the week and doesn’t have fixed working hours, so working Childcare between us, is impossible to get a job, as we have no support system.

We get Carers Allowance for our Daughter and I get nothing for my father, because he’s not classed as Disabled yet, he’s old and has a degenerative disease.

I know There’s others in a lot worse situation than us.

Those most vulnerable in every day society have been totally ignored and left to fend for themselves.

Sorry, I’m going off n one now, but going back to original post.
As I read it and as the Care Badge official statement reads and says, this CARE badge and recognition and benefits associated with it, is for both Paid and Unpaid Carers .


This needs to be clarified, as what was the point in mentioning Unpaid Carers’s, if this wasn’t to be the case.

[Jayne_20041]

Just some acknowledgement from the government that we even exist would be nice. At the moment it seems like we’re just entirely forgotten about and that our needs and wellbeing don’t matter.

Completely Agree...

I’ve written to our Local MP about it and I’ve absolutely nothing back..

[bowlingbun]

I am desperately concerned for pensioner carers.

The survey showed that 22% were over 65, so if they were drawing their pensions, these carers would not be entitled to ANY Carers Allowance.
I am a pensioner, was asked to care for my brain damaged son, who lives in supported living, when Lockdown started, but refused to do this, knowing it would make me ill.
My friends in similar situations have no support whatsoever, no chance of any break due to Lockdown.
In theory, carers have a right not to care, but many have had no real choice at all.
The government seems to have endless money for those usually in work, surely carers deserve to be paid for the care they provide?
Some of my friends are being asked to return unspent direct payments. Surely they should be allowed to keep the money which would normally go on support workers, if they have had to provide the support??

[Mike O'Brien]

I know I'm only one voice, but I've written to several members of the Welsh assembly to ask what is being done to support unpaid carers and even forwarded the Caring Behind Closed Doors' report to them and I haven't received any useful replies as of yet. The only replies I have received are ones saying that they'll read through the report, but nothing since then.

[Mike O'Brien]

Today I finally received a response from the Welsh government, however it was a pointless exercise as the response I received was basically a long winded way of telling me absolutely nothing that I didn't already know.

Can anybody from the Carers UK team confirm that the Welsh government is in regular contact with Carers Wales as claimed in the response?

The response I received is as follows:

Thank you for your email on 5th May regarding the Carers UK Behind Closed Doors 2020
report on how the Coronavirus is impacting carers across the UK. We welcome information
from carers’ organisations, and individual carers, about their experiences.

Providing support for the unpaid carers of Wales has been and is a priority for Welsh
Government, including in these challenging times. The Deputy Minister for Health and
Social Services, Julie Morgan, confirmed Ministers’ commitment towards carers in a Written
Statement published on 4th May. https://gov.wales/written-statement-wri ... ent-carers

We have three national priorities for carers, launched in November 2017, which identify the
importance of a carer having a life alongside caring, being supported with information and
advice, and recognising carers. We also remain committed, as referenced in the Statement,
to ensuring that carers’ rights as identified in the Social Services and Well-being of Wales
2014 Act, are maintained.

As government we work closely with a wide range of stakeholders including national carers’
organisations in Wales, including Carers Wales, and were pleased to announce just over
£2m of funding for three national carers’ projects as part of our Third Sector Sustainable
Social services grant scheme for 2020-23. These are already helping a wide range of
carers during the current pandemic situation. We also meet with senior officials from Carers
Wales, Carers Trust Wales and the All Wales Forum for Parents and Carers on a very
regular basis to hear about, gather evidence and discuss what action needs to be taken to
help and support carers, not just now but in the future. These organisations are also members of our Carers’ Ministerial Advisory Group, created in 2018 to help us think strategically about issues affecting carers and provide advice to Ministers. The group’s work includes developing a new national plan for carers.

I hope you find this information helpful.

Kind regards,

[Michael Carers UK]

Today I finally received a response from the Welsh government, however it was a pointless exercise as the response I received was basically a long winded way of telling me absolutely nothing that I didn't already know.

Can anybody from the Carers UK team confirm that the Welsh government is in regular contact with Carers Wales as claimed in the response?

Hello Michael

Thanks for posting the response you received from the Welsh Government. I forwarded this to Claire Morgan, Director of Carers Wales, and she has provided the following response.

Claire Morgan, Director of Carers Wales is meeting weekly with the Welsh Government team responsible for unpaid carers. This is an opportunity to feedback back and highlight carers’ concerns and to hear the actions Welsh Government are taking. Claire is also Chair of the Wales Carers Alliance and she wrote a letter to Welsh Government earlier in lockdown to share issues being raised by carers from across the Alliance membership. She continues to push for a more co-ordinated and robust response to these issues including PPE, testing, access to medication and food, end of life care, carers support services.

Please let me know if you would like to contact Claire directly.

Michael

[Mike O'Brien]

Michael, thank you for posting the response from Claire Morgan.

[susieq]

locked for usual reasons