Charity calls for more support for area’s thousands of carers
A Scarborough man is calling for people caring for a family member or friend to be treated fairly.
Andy Jesse has been a full-time carer for his 78-year-old mum for the past four years. The 45-yearold, of Westway, Eastfield, moved back to Scarborough five years ago when he was forced to take a break from work due to health reasons.
“I worked on the South coast for 15 years but because I had a bad knee and was unable to walk for 18 months I had to move back and I moved in with my mum,” he explained.
“At the time she was already ill but then four years ago she had a stroke and that’s when I started caring full-time.”
Inreturnforfulfillinghis role as a carer, Andy has been receiving Carer’s Allowance, a payment of £66 per week available to those caring for someone claiming another benefit (Disability Living Allowance for Children, Personal Independent Payment or Attendance Allowance) and spending 35 hours a week or more with the person they’re looking after. However, the strict elegibility criteria and the low payments have left him unable to live independently.
“At the moment I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place because I have to do 35 hours a week to qualify for the payment that I get. If I didn’t live in I’d have to have a fulltime job and I would not be able to do the caring so I’m stuck. “I can’t move out because I can’t afford a deposit and £500 rent for a flat on the wage that I get for being a care worker.” Caring for a relative or friend for at least seven hours a day is the equivalent of a full-timejob,saysAndy, and those doing it should be treated the same. “I’m being paid £8 per day so less than £1 per hour for effectively being a care worker. It’s the equivalent of getting unemployment benefit but I’m expected to do 35 hours a week of cooking, cleaning and shopping. If we got a private carer they would be paid £450 a week so it’s entirely unfair that just because I’m related to somebody I get paid less.” Charity Carers Resource say Andy’s case is not an isolated one and that many carers are living in poverty due to the struggle to find a part-time job while caring for someone full-time.
Chief Officer Elizabeth McPherson said: “Carers are saving the economy £132bn a year so I do think there is a case for an increased Carer’s Allowance.[Carer’sAllowance]isquite a low paid payment and those who get it often deserve that and more.” A spokesperson from the Department for Work and Pensions said: “Carer’s Allowance is notintendedtobeacarer’swage, but it does provide some recognition of the care being provided to support a disabled person.”