Carers UK is calling for urgent support to fight Carer Poverty ahead of the upcoming Autumn Budget.
New research has revealed that 1.2 million unpaid carers are living in poverty, with a staggering 400,000 in deep poverty—earning less than 50% of the median income and often going without essentials like housing, food, heating, clothing, shoes, and toiletries.
In response, Carers UK is urging the government to take immediate action in the next budget. They are advocating for:
- An increase of £11.10 for carers receiving Universal Credit and Carer Addition in Pension Credit, which could lift 30,000 people out of poverty and 40,000 out of deep poverty.
- A further increase of £36.30 for carers on Universal Credit, which could raise 110,000 people above the poverty line and help 140,000 out of deep poverty.
Carers UK also calls for a review of Carer’s Allowance, the main benefit for unpaid carers, to increase support and reassess eligibility criteria to cover more carers in diverse situations.
Since the general election in July, many new MPs have been elected, and it is critical they hear about the financial struggles faced by carers in the UK.
How can I help?
Carers UK has made it easy to take action:
- Send a pre-written letter to your MP, urging them to raise carer poverty with the Chancellor: Campaign with us to put an end to carer poverty | Carers UK
- Send a tweet to your MP using your postcode via this link (your postcode will auto populate the details of your MP so you don’t have to search for them): Ask the Chancellor to put an end to carer poverty | Carers UK
Suzi Henderson, CEO of Cloverleaf Advocacy, said “As the shocking figures from Carers UK reveal, the financial hardship facing unpaid carers is a crisis we cannot ignore. With 1.2 million carers living in poverty, urgent action is needed. Unpaid carers are the backbone of our communities, often giving their time and energy for so little. It is time we ensure they receive the support they deserve. Cloverleaf Advocacy stands with Carers UK in calling on Parliament and the Chancellor to address carer poverty in the Autumn Budget.”
