Tag: carer

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Calls for UK carers to be given uplift to Scottish level of support kept quiet

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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 … Continue reading Calls for UK carers to be given uplift to Scottish level of support kept quiet

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Four weeks in and Labour Work and Pensions Secretary doing nothing for BBC Scotland’s struggling carer

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From BBC Scotland today: Brian Closs is a full-time carer for his two autistic teenagers and has been receiving income support with child benefit, carers allowance and child tax credits. But these benefits are being phased out by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of a “managed migration” to universal credit payments. Money is already tight for Brian, 55, but in order to receive his new benefit he has to claim and then wait more than a month for his new payment. The controversial “five-week wait” means he will fall further into debt unless he asks for … Continue reading Four weeks in and Labour Work and Pensions Secretary doing nothing for BBC Scotland’s struggling carer

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Young carers may be missing out on help because the public service broadcaster won’t tell them about it

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Talking-up Scotland costs nothing so donate to our friends at  https://www.broadcastingscotland.scot/donate/ or take out a subscription to the Scots Independent newspaper in which I have a column, at: https://scotsindependent.scot/FWShop/product-category/subscriptions/ From the Scottish Government today: On Young Carers Action Day (13 March) teenagers who look after others are being urged find out if they’re eligible for a grant available only in Scotland.  Since being introduced in 2019 by the Scottish Government, Young Carer Grant has delivered over £3 million to over 6,600 teenage carers.     However a leading carers charity says many young people who look after others do not recognise themselves as carers, … Continue reading Young carers may be missing out on help because the public service broadcaster won’t tell them about it

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Drooling over a miserly 5 days off unpaid and ignoring Scottish Government’s real help for carers

johnrobertson834

From BBC Scotland today Lindsay McCurley from Glasgow is a single parent carer. She looks after her teenage son Nathan, who has autism. She is among thousands of people across the UK who struggle with trying to care for a relative long-term while also trying to stay in paid employment. But now a change in the law, due to come into force on 6 April, means people who care for relatives outside of work can take an extra week of unpaid leave every year. The Carer’s Leave Act, which will apply across the UK, allows employees with long-term care commitments … Continue reading Drooling over a miserly 5 days off unpaid and ignoring Scottish Government’s real help for carers