Carers UK Forum

Carers are ignored

IAIN Duncan Smith, work and pensions secretary, will force the unemployed to "work" for their benefits.

A minimum of 30 hours’ manual work per week will be required or they will lose their jobseekers allowance. They call this a new initiative.

Could I remind the minister that we now have in place a benefit that is conditional on the claimant working a minimum of 35 hours per week and if not they receive no benefit at all.

What is this benefit?

It is the carers’ allowance set at £53 per week. This is the lowest benefit payable (lower than jobseekers allowance).

Could I also remind the minister that his own Centre for Social Justice, in its report, Broken Britain, more than two years ago, said the carers’ allowance was far too low at £50 per week and should be doubled, yet it and carers have been ignored by the minister in his benefit reform.