Apologies for the delay in posting this up here, our response:
Carers UK has expressed concern at some elements of the Emergency Budget announced yesterday (22 June 2010) which announced the introduction of medical assessments for people applying for and receiving Disability Living Allowance and the axeing of the Savings Gateway for carers.
Imelda Redmond CBE, Chief Executive of Carers UK said:
“The Government plans to save £6 billion a year by switching the measure by which it increases benefits annually to the Consumer Price Index. If you are a single parent caring for a disabled child, caring for your partner or a caring for an elderly parent on your own, your family may rely on carers’, disability and means-tested benefits as your only source of income. Making savings in this way will hit the incomes of some of the most vulnerable people in our society particularly hard, people who are already struggling to make ends meet.
The introduction of medical assessments for Disability Living Allowance will also cause extreme concern amongst people caring, unpaid, for disabled relatives. People's experiences of this system for Employment and Support Allowance and Incapacity Benefit have not been positive. Carers own income could be hit as their benefits, Carer's Allowance and others, are based on the disabled person receiving Disability Living Allowance at a certain level. A poor medical assessment could spell financial disaster for carers and their families. With the Office of Budget Responsibility questioning whether savings could be achieved in this area, Carers UK is urging the Government to ensure that this policy is well thought through to avoid the huge stress and anxiety that a new system and poor decision-making will have.
We are also angry that the Savings Gateway scheme is being axed - something we campaigned hard successfully campaigned for. The Savings Gateway would have given carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance, an additional 50p for every £1 they were able to save. Research has shown that carers spend down their savings, leaving many caring round the clock for someone, unpaid, with no savings or buffer against any large purchase. This places enormous strain on carers.
There were however, some elements of the Budget that will benefit some carers, such as the raising of the personal allowance level - taking carers on very low incomes out of tax altogether - and the relinking of the basic State Pension to earnings.
However the other issue which has not mentioned in much of the media coverage are the potentially massive cuts to local authority budgets, which risk essential services to carers, older and disabled people being slashed. A freeze on council tax will place additional pressure on budgets and it is vital that local authorities take a mature and wide view of social care which is vital to people's daily lives, to be able to work, live with family and have some dignity.â€
