I'm sure all of us knows at least one person who dedicates time to caring for someone but did you know that anyone caring for a loved one for a minimum of 35 hours a week receives £53.10 Carer's Allowance?
It is estimated there are six million unpaid carers in the UK who look after sick and disabled family and friends. In Scotland the number is 660,000. Their work saves the Scottish economy £5bn, almost the same as the cost of running the NHS in Scotland.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee has published a report which points out that around one-fifth of carers who receive benefits say they experience difficulties claiming.
Publishing the report, Edward Leigh, committee chairman, said: “Millions of people devote a large part of their time, often for many years, to caring for family or friends who are ill or disabled. But the value of the service they provide is not reflected in the quality of the DWP’s arrangements for providing them with financial support.”
He continued: “Carers who apply for benefits should not have to wade through official written guidance and communications that can range from the hard-to-understand to the downright incomprehensible. And they should not have to be jumping through unnecessary hoops to apply for benefits and allowances.”
This is one benefit which should be easily accessible. Carers are invaluable to our society and they should not have to tolerate the indignity of a sub-standard service from the Department of Work and Pensions.
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