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- Member
Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:38 am
Hello everyone
Just joined this site today.
Even though it is budget day I need to get something off my chest as I doubt there will be anything in the budget for us carers.
As a carer it makes me feel not counted when the government speaks about the national average wage or the minimum wage, which is currently £6.50 per hour, whereas as a carer I receive £61.35 per week carers allowance. As you have to care for 35 hours a week to qualify for that benefit, that makes my worth a paltry £1.75 per hour wage. That is disgusting.
Apprentice rates in the very first year earn £2.73 per hour – that too will be increased in April 2015.
We are ‘supposed’ to be happy as carers that the amount of money that one can earn per week whilst caring is to be raised to £110 per week. Well good luck with that, apart from the fact that as a carer giving round the clock care, what employer would want that quality in an employee – who has the time, if one is caring fully and properly for the 35 hours plus – what time is left – if us carers even have any – to fit a job in!
Carers are usually in that role because it is the loved ones that we care for, usually members of our family. We do not want them to go into a nursing home – average cost of a elderly or disabled person in a care home – runs from approx £600 for council run homes to £1000+ in private care homes. So realistically I am saving the government over £550 per week.
It also costs the NHS over £250 a day to keep an elderly patient in hospital, this rises to over £2000 in an acute bed situation. Once again, as a carer I feel keeping the person that I care for as healthy and as happy as I possibly can is saving this country thousands of pounds.
Years ago there was talk of raising the carers allowance to £100 a week, that still isn’t on a par with the national minimum wage – but it is a small recompense for the work that we do. That never materialized. Most carers like myself, have given up careers to care, so we lose a lot more than monetary sacrifices. Everything in my life is compromised from the pension I will receive should I live to pensionable wage, my financial situation as I use my savings to supplement my carers allowance and to provide for the person I care for.
We need a voice, and organizations such as Carers UK help us with advice etc., but we cannot continue on such a degrading payment. We are holding our families together, over £6 million of us.
We should have recognition for the work we do.
Recognition for the role we carry out.
Recognition by fair financial recompense.
Thanks. Annie
Just joined this site today.
Even though it is budget day I need to get something off my chest as I doubt there will be anything in the budget for us carers.
As a carer it makes me feel not counted when the government speaks about the national average wage or the minimum wage, which is currently £6.50 per hour, whereas as a carer I receive £61.35 per week carers allowance. As you have to care for 35 hours a week to qualify for that benefit, that makes my worth a paltry £1.75 per hour wage. That is disgusting.
Apprentice rates in the very first year earn £2.73 per hour – that too will be increased in April 2015.
We are ‘supposed’ to be happy as carers that the amount of money that one can earn per week whilst caring is to be raised to £110 per week. Well good luck with that, apart from the fact that as a carer giving round the clock care, what employer would want that quality in an employee – who has the time, if one is caring fully and properly for the 35 hours plus – what time is left – if us carers even have any – to fit a job in!
Carers are usually in that role because it is the loved ones that we care for, usually members of our family. We do not want them to go into a nursing home – average cost of a elderly or disabled person in a care home – runs from approx £600 for council run homes to £1000+ in private care homes. So realistically I am saving the government over £550 per week.
It also costs the NHS over £250 a day to keep an elderly patient in hospital, this rises to over £2000 in an acute bed situation. Once again, as a carer I feel keeping the person that I care for as healthy and as happy as I possibly can is saving this country thousands of pounds.
Years ago there was talk of raising the carers allowance to £100 a week, that still isn’t on a par with the national minimum wage – but it is a small recompense for the work that we do. That never materialized. Most carers like myself, have given up careers to care, so we lose a lot more than monetary sacrifices. Everything in my life is compromised from the pension I will receive should I live to pensionable wage, my financial situation as I use my savings to supplement my carers allowance and to provide for the person I care for.
We need a voice, and organizations such as Carers UK help us with advice etc., but we cannot continue on such a degrading payment. We are holding our families together, over £6 million of us.
We should have recognition for the work we do.
Recognition for the role we carry out.
Recognition by fair financial recompense.
Thanks. Annie
