Carers UK Forum

Every single reader can come up with an idea that would benefit fellow carers.

From one benefiting half a dozen other carers in a village to ones that could benefit millions.

Only way to inform others on this Forum is by posting in whatever category , and inviting others to post their own thoughts.

Thereafter , there is a void.

We are told that those within the Voice , those with the authority / power to take things forward do not , as a general rule , visit the Forum frequently.

Any reader can email the Voice directly , but , no statistics available to monitor the results.

One practical solution would be for a " Dragon's Den " type group , consisting of reps from the Voice and selected carers , whose function would be similar to the tv program , either back the idea and take it forward , or reject it.

A couple already subject to separate threads ... Carers Concessary Fares / 21 Hour Rule faced by student carers , and carers wishing to seek further education.

On best guessimate figures , a potential £ 500 MILLION at stake that is either being spent by , or refused to carers as I type. The equivalent to increasing Carers Allowance by , just under , £ 17 per week !

Scatter a whole packet of seed and , at least some will germinate , one or two into gigantic oak trees in time.

Merely some thoughts worth exploring ?

After all , nothing ventured , nothing gained ?

We have all seen some of the Voices's policies over the years.

Time to add a few of our own to theirs and really make it ... The Voice of Carers ?

That's precisely what it says already on the tin.

No takers ?

Okay :

With management ..... Carer Travel Concessions

In pipeline .............. CA eligibilty / 21 hour studying rule ( With the NUS as I type )

Separate threads running for both ... £ 500 MILLION potentially across both.

Increasing CA / support services ? Both taken on by management and ongoing.

Any other issues of this magnitude worthy of consideration ?

Issues still on the drawing board include :

Use of Carers Radio
Relaunch of a carers card ( Ideally , an one stop carers shop / discount / free pass all in one )
Carers Credit Union ( Don't hold your breathe ! )
Carers Flag Scheme ( Judging by some recent postings , time to blow the dust off this one ? )
Local carer groups ( Blueprint type guide to anyone thinking of establishing one ... for me to produce ? )

One common factor ? All help in identifying carers ... 5.5 million or thereabouts still unknown !!!!!

Over to any readers , even if only a handful of carers will benefit.

Anyone willing to lend a hand with me developing ideas / suggestions forward ?

I know this isn't CarerWatch but ... surely not all campaigners / activists / carers with different ideas of the world have moved on ???

Stop complaining , and start thinking ... a lttle harsh but ... there are 6 million+ carers out there.

I've only returned six months ago , after seven years away. A few of the above were on the drawing board back in 2009. Time to clear the blockage in the pipeline ?

In the absence of anyone else , that leaves me ... thanks ? As a former carer , I won't benefit for any of the above , the thought of others benefiting is enough for me.

If we don't even try to ease the Plight for some , who else is there ?????

Social Services used to have a saying that Early Intervention can prevent problems getting worse. They seem to have discarded that method of working though.

If we apply that observation to the going issues , fits perfectly in leaving issues of this magnitude in a " To Do " file conveniently filed under " No-hopers " , praying that the authors would simply disappear into the ether with the passage of time.

Think again.

Carers Flag Scheme ?

2001 ... signed a PRT petition
2004 ... " Oh , back burner job "
2004-2017 ... not a word / posting / dickie bird ( Beyond what's posted on CarerWatch ).
2017 ... back on the menu

16 years ... and layers of dust. And still carers are reporting problems with their gp surgeries .....

We are carers , and one thing that unites us is , that apart from ourselves , nobody else wants to help ease our Plight.

At least we can do the homework and pass on that on to our supporting organisation.

The rest is out of our hands , all 6 million+ pairs.

Going back to when a medical problem arose, my GP never told me what the problem was. He never told me how to cope.
I wish I could sue him for his failure in his duty of care towards me and other members of my family.

Secondly, in the case of other relatives, I think that it was the Police who made the referral to Social Services.

Thanks Colin.

Sounds as if individual action was need with the help of an outside agency in the first instance , local CAB perhaps as to the correct way forward ?

Both of the two top Issues escalated as per email to my local mp , John Mann , today.

John.

As an inmate of the Worksop Gulag who also voted
for you at the last one , I , and 6 million carers need
help.

No thanks to the Hansard System , nationwide issues
need to be raised with one's local mp , first.

In your case , bad news , that means me.

I need your services as a postman , nothing more.

Carers Strategy with Government , plans expected in June.

Carers Day in the House , also scheduled for June.

Two issues that need to be on table. If not the first ,
ESSENTIAL for the second.

From the grass roots and detailed on the Carers Uk forum.

1. Carer Travel Concessions
2. 21 Hour Study Rule as eligibility for receiving Carers Allowance

In pure financial terms £ 500 MILLION acrosss these two alone.

Absurd ?

Travel - blind caree travels on public transport with a guide dog.
Another blind caree travels on the same bus / train with a human carer.
Guide dog goes free , human carer pays full fare.

21 Hour Rule - 35 hours minimum caring to claim Carers Allowance.
Only 21 hours for studying allowed. Go half and hour over , and Carers
Allowance ceases.
How many hours in a week ? 168
Caring 35 / Studying 21 / Sleeping 49 ... 63 hours left ... ?

Need for these Issues to be put before your colleagues :

Barbara Keeley ( Usually Mistress of Ceremonies on Carers Day in the House )
Alex Cunningham
Jack Dromey
Angela Rayner

Last three are members of the All Party Carers Group.

Obviously , a lot more behind these Issues but , not the purpose of this email.

In today's Sad New World , how does an ordinary person get an important
Issue to the attention of those on the top floor without having to go
through " Customs checks " on every floor inbetween.

6 million carers ... and we all need someone somewhere to take a direct
interest in us , and not rely on any third party to do so.

With Respect.

Rest floating and awaiting comment from ( any ) reader.

Any former CT readers with anything left hanging in thin air or conveniently left to rot over there ?

One Issue was ... The Carers Flag Scheme ... and they themselves started it !

I agree with everything your saying but am clueless how to fix it..... maybe a silly suggestion... but what if carers got a full time wage classed as a proper and real important job, we would pay tax and national insurance pensions the whole lot...and instead of claiming housing /council tax benefit and all the rest.... we wouldn't have to as we'd earn enough money to pay rent/mortgage and the money we contribute towards everything without needing benefits is where the government would save money as there would be less form filling and paperwork and documentation and evidence needed or interviews as the carer would receive a wage enough to support themselves and who they care for....so being a carer is a good enough paying job so people don't loose homes and everything else....and therefore less people would feel down and depressed with the system as we aren't in the system and the government again saves because their not paying out benefits and also by making it more easy to care and have independence by not being destitute hopefully stress levels will decline and more people could keep up there good work and less people in homes as we all don't get to that breaking point and burn out phase until much later?.... or maybe not but that would take away feeling trapped, the stigma...

and the pay out in benefits instead would be given as a wage...

should I be prime minister ?..... any way I look forward to everyone picking holes in my perfect plan then the 21 hours study can go shove itself as we'd all be earning enough to support ourselves and through tax national insurance and no more claiming of housing council tax we are all paying back into the government the way everyone is.... happily....?... (sarcasm)! Diane

Try our Social Wage for starters.

Started , nurtured , and spawned by CarerWatch just under a decade ago before the changes to the benefit system were announced.

A hotchpotch to replace an existing hotchpotch , only , once the dust had settled , more hoops and less monies :

Firstly , anyone not agree that the current benefit system needs replacing to reflect our changed needs ?

Good , let me introduce the concept of the Social Wage.

Who for ? The elderly , the disabled ( higher rate DLA & AA ) and their carers.

What would it replace ? State Pension \ DLA \ AA \ Carers Allowance \ Income support \ Carers Premium & any others directly related.

Level of Social Wage ? A percentage of the average wage , rising with average earnings. The politics involved will be the actual percentage applied. Try 50% as a starter , an additional 20% if any claimant fell under more than one category , per category , Dugsie for instance ?

Assume AW is £ 450 per week , and % is set at 30% ...... that give's all recipients £ 135 per week ..... additional 10% ...... additional £ 45 per week ..... for example , elderly and a Carer = £ 180. Play around with the % to your heart's content ....... if implemented , the % level is the ONLY political decision.

Carer or elderly or disabled ........................................... £ 135

Carer and elderly or disabled ...................................... £ 180

Carer and elderly and disabled ................................... £ 225

Swap carer / elderly / disabled around ... same figures ... no smoke and mirrors !

Simples ?

Benefit ? A long last , a simple system which , is not only fair , but instantly removes the stigma of claiming benefits in the first place , and ensures that monies go to the claimant rather than dangled in front of them ( eg. current take up of benefits ).

How funded ? Variety of ways open , I leave that to the economists amongst posters BUT don't shoot down the concept because , on initial calculations , too costly. Try NI contributions towards a Social Wage ... the initial concept of NI is , perhaps , 40 years past it's sell by date ?

Initial soundings across 'Carer' \ disability forums have been favourable , how about the politicos and others on this Forum.

You never know , it could be a real vote winner !

As the inventor and proprietor ( through CarerWatch ... purely to avoid tax you understand ? ) , I am now in the Den facing 6 dragons , 3 from CarerLand , 3 from the Voice.

You are one of the dragons looking for something like the above.

Would you " Ye or neigh " , bearing in mind I do not have a rather thick brown envelope in my back pocket ?

Split 3-3 , and we have the casting vote ... that old double headed coin came in useful ?

After all , haven't we been playing against a stacked deck for two decades or more ?

There is a flaw , care to spot it ?

What's missing ?

Erm would the flaw be I've not taken into account mobility cars and the dla and all the benefits the person we care for receives also so the wage idea would never be enough to sustain both?