Shadow work and pensions minister Vicky Foxcroft MP has urged the Department for Work and Pensions to make an assessment of the “potential merits of awarding the full Carer's Allowance to unpaid carers that are in receipt of the State Pension”.
The DWP Minister explained that Carer’s Allowance replaces income where the carer has given up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to care for a severely disabled person, while State Pension replaces income in retirement. Calls to reform Carer’s Allowance More than 12,800 people have signed an online petition calling for reforms to Carer’s Allowance. Petition creator, Austin Powell-Allen, proposes that the benefit should be paid at a rate to match 35 hours at 50 per cent of the National Living Wage rate.
Mr Powell-Allen states in the ‘Increase Carer’s Allowance to equal 35 hours at 50% of the living wage’ petition: “Currently you’re expected to provide at least 35 hours a week care so the allowance is equivalent to £2.10 an hour. We believe this is taking advantage of hard working unpaid carers, who sacrifice their own life and work prospects.