Usdaw welcomes carers announcement

Shopworkers’ union, Usdaw, which represents thousands of working carers, today welcomed the publication of the Government’s long awaited revised National Carers Strategy.

The new Carers’ Strategy commits Government to spending £255 million in the short term to improve the lives of carers. The package includes an extra £150 million to enable more carers to take planned breaks. The strategy also sets out Government’s longer term vision including a commitment to tackling financial hardship and making it easier for carers to combine paid work with their caring role.

However, along with many carers’ organisations, Usdaw is calling on the Government to make changes to Carers Allowance to enable more low income working carers to access it. As part of its longstanding Supporting Parents and Carers' campaign, Usdaw is calling for the rate of benefit to be improved and for changes to the earnings rule so that working carers don’t lose their entire entitlement where they earn over £95 a week.

John Hannett, Usdaw General Secretary and a member of the Standing Commission on Carers, attended the Prime Minister’s launch of the strategy today at which Gordon Brown thanked carers for the work they do. John commented:

“Today the Government has made a real commitment to improving the lives of carers, and we very much welcome this first step. A large number of our members are carers and are juggling paid work with their caring responsibilities. Caring for someone can put a strain on the already tight budgets that many of our members are living on. The National Carers’ Strategy commits Government to a wholesale review of the financial support available to carers with a view to ensuring that the valuable role they play is both recognised and rewarded.

“The Government recognises that there is more to be done in the areas in which Usdaw has been campaigning and we will continue to press for an increase in the £50 per week Carers’ Allowance, which is currently the lowest benefit of its kind in the UK, and push for it to be tapered so that low income carers in paid work will continue to be able to claim. We will also be seeking to ensure that those juggling care with full time education aren’t excluded.

“The work carried out by carers saves our economy £87 billion per year, so we will be campaigning to the Government to acknowledge this fact financially in their next manifesto.

“As a member of the Standing Commission on Carers I look forward to the challenge of ensuring the commitments outlined in the strategy are implemented and that going forward it delivers substantial improved rights and benefits for carers.”

Notes to Editors:

• Contacts for newsdesks: Usdaw’s Media Officer, Cherry Hamilton, can be contacted on 0161 249 2469 or e-mail cherry.hamilton@usdaw.org.uk
• Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) is the UK’s fourth biggest trade union, with over 359,000 members. Most Usdaw members work in the retail sector, but the union also has many members in transport, distribution, food manufacturing, chemicals and other trades.
• More information and news releases are available at our online Newsroom.
• Subscribe/unsubscribe to Usdaw news releases via our online e-news service at: http://www.usdaw.org.uk/site/email.html

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© 2003 (USDAW) Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers
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