By Professor John Robertson OBA
From the Guardian today:
More than a million unpaid carers in the UK who look after disabled, frail or ill relatives are living in poverty, with one in 10 experiencing such extreme hardship they struggle to afford to eat regularly or heat their homes, new research shows.
There’s no mention of Scotland in the Guardian report despite the Carers UK original report mentioning it 35 times, with references to this:
The DWP should increase the value of Carer Element, Carer Premium and Carer Addition by £11.10 per week. As an immediate first step towards reducing poverty for unpaid carers, we need to bring the level of carer premia up to the level of what carers receive in Scotland. [6]
and:
Allowance claimants are also on Universal Credit, this means many claimants may not get some or all of the additional value of Carer’s Allowance. This could be prevented if Carer’s Allowance uplifts were combined with an equivalent increase in the carer premia paid with means-tested benefits or, if the increases were not treated as income when calculating other benefit entitlements, as is the case with the Scottish Carer’s Allowance Supplement. [34]
Only 35 references to Scotland? Easy for the Guardian to miss?
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/sep/12/unpaid-carers-uk-poverty-benefits
https://www.carersuk.org/reports/poverty-and-financial-hardship-of-unpaid-carers-in-the-uk/
The OBA – https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
‘Carers allowance’ for unpaid carers is £80pw. To qualify, carers must, must be providing care for at least THIRTY FIVE hours per week, no time off allowed, and the DWP removed the two weeks break per year, that carers could take previously without having their CA removed. The Scottish system is the same far as I know. The Scottish carers allowance supplement is about £300 twice a year, keeps the wolf from the door. Unpaid carers save the state billions of pounds by providing free care. The impact on carers’ mental and sometimes physical health can be enormous, but they have no choice.
Carers allowance is an insult to say the least, and yes it’s removed from other ‘benefits’ the carer may be having to claim, like income support or the so called universal credit.
I’d hoped the Scottish government might implement a slightly less restrictive system, more flexibility if say the cared for goes away on a supported holiday, or that the ridiculous 35 hours be reduced to twenty. In reality caring for family at home amounts to 24/7 care for most people. Quality of life is minimal.
Eighty pounds, for thirty five hours, demoralising, demeaning, insulting.
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can we have a photo with headline of article so can easily promote article on social media please.
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Any articles which might reflect positively on actions by the Scottish Government are filtered through the baleful Libby Brookes who deScottifies it and slants to show how inept Scots are. It is a colonist mindset.
Alasdair Macdonald
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All these ”extras” that Scottish people receive – Child Payment , Carer’s Allowance , mitigation of Bedroom Tax , free prescriptions etc…are classed as ” SNP economic incompetence ” by Labour as they attempt to pass their austerity decisions as SNP cuts !
”Read my lips , Sarwar ! It’s YOUR AUSTERITY !”
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O/T In a week when the Scottish Government attracted the ire of opposition parties, think tanks, charities and trade unions because it made cuts in order to balance its budget, it seems that the management of finances by devolved governments across the UK varies.
The BBC News website’s Northern Ireland page has this headline (published 12 September): ‘Ministers to meet UK chancellor to discuss budget’.
We learn here that earlier in the week the Northern Ireland Executive published its draft programme for government. Also in the same week the BBC tells us in the same piece: ‘… the finance minister told assembly members (MLAs) that Stormont departments are currently facing spending pressures of £767m. That means departments believe they need £767m more than what is currently in the budget. (my emphasis)
‘The BBC article goes on: Caoimhe Archibald (the finance minister) said Stormont can expect to get about £500m extra, partially as a consequence of October’s Westminster budget. She said while that will go a “significant way” towards easing the pressures, ministers will have to play their part and there would only be “full certainty” of the amount towards the end of this year.’ Anticipating income, uncertainty for months over funding from Westminster – what a way to govern and be governed!
And: ‘The finance minister said the Treasury has been “explicit” that any overspend this year would trigger the suspended repayment of a previous £559m overspend.
“We must face up to the challenges, strive to live within our budgets and avoid a scenario in 2025-26 of having to deal with paying back any overspend from this year along with a further £559m from previous years, by taking the responsible decisions that we need to achieve financial balance this year,” she told the Assembly.’
Nothing in the BBC article quoting outraged opposition politicians, trade unions, charities or think tanks commenting on the above. No charges of ‘incompetence’!
From the BBC News website back on 9 November 2023 it was reported: ‘Stormont on course for £450m overspend this year’
This article notes: ‘Stormont is on course for an overspend of £450m this year, the senior official in the Department of Finance has warned. That figure is based on the assumption that there are no pay rises across public services.
‘Pay awards matching those in the rest of the UK would see the deficit balloon to around £1bn.
‘Stormont overspent by £300m last year, money to be paid back from additional Treasury funds awarded.
‘Neil Gibson, the permanent secretary at the Department of Finance, said that savings of £980m have been made this year.’
This BBC article in November 2023 explains: ‘The executive’s spending on public services is largely financed by a core block grant from Westminster, which evolves according to the Barnett Formula.
‘This ensures that when the government increases spending in the rest of the UK, the block grant rises by broadly the same amount in pounds per head in Northern Ireland.’
Wrong – of course! This should read: ‘when the government increases spending in England …..!
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The carers who could work a few hours and then were penalised for going 1p over. Having to pay £thousands back. An absolute disgrace. A mean, cruel Gov doing that to anybody. Another scandal , on top of scandal.
The DWP cruelty. On par with the Post Office scandal. The victims still have not been compensated for having their lives ruined for years.
The carers are saving the economy £Billions. Yet still being penalised.
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