Carers must not be ignored

It seems there is going to be an early day motion put before the House of Commons on the issue of cares and caring. It says:

That this House calls on the Government to make an early statement on its policy intentions toward carers; notes the selfless hard work and commitment displayed by the approximately six million carers in the UK; recognises the incalculable difference carers make to the lives of their loved ones; acknowledges that carers save the country an estimated £87 billion each year; and supports an immediate review of the current carers allowance level.

If this government sticks to the same patterns as previous administrations it will pay lip-service to this much underrated group. In 2005 I was asked to investigate how many young carers existed in one local borough in the UK. Before conducting the research I asked how many they thought existed and they said there were approximately 17 scattered throughout the borough, but they admitted their figures were possibly a little on the conservative side.

Over a month I (and my team) interviewed several hundred people and discovered the figure was closer to 160 young people! Pretty outrageous by any standards, but not oversurprising when you look at the lack of awareness nationally about the extent of carer numbers.

Now, I have to admire this council for their bravery, because they invited me back – this time to explore how many older carers (people over 65) existed in the borough, with a responsibility for looking after someone with a learning difficulty. Again their figures were ridiculously under the mark and the actual number was closer to 9 times greater than the one they first indicated.

What this means in practice is that services are seriously underfunded and result in carers being unable to access respite facilities, support groups, or other aids that could make their own lives so much easier. For example, I wonder how many young carers are sitting GCSEs or AS/ A2 level examinations right now, whilst worrying about the disabled parent they left behind at home before walking to school or college. I certainly know of one young man who will soon sit an exam and before leaving home will cook breakfast for his mother, get her up from bed and settled downstairs. Then, after the exam he will rush to the local supermarket, buy the groceries and then rush home by lunch-time in order to get his mother some lunch.

A pat on the back is no longer enough for these people – they need recognition, support and financial assistance. As a matter of principle, the Labour Party should make the issue of carers and caring a central issue in it’s social welfare campaign, with policies reflecting the urgent need to establish adequate respite facilities for all carers and for them to have up to 12-weeks respite a year; an income or welfare benefit that is, at least, consistent with the statutory minimum wage; and, fully-funded carer support groups and young carer groups, with sufficient staffing to support carers in a manner appropriate to their needs and wishes.

A new Labour leader will hopefully promote a socialist vision of our society – this cannot be achieved if we ignore the needs of our carers.