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Carers left out in the cold

 

Christmas is only days away and the snow keeps on falling. But once again this year carers are being left out in the cold with no Christmas "bonus" and Carer’s Allowance set for a measly 80p rise in 2010. Let's hope the new year has more to offer for carers...
Meanwhile on our boards, carers have been keeping the fires burning, sharing wintry tales, bad jokes and festive cheer.
 
Alistair Darling2
Cold Christmas for carers
In the Government’s pre-budget report, carers learned that they will not receive an additional Christmas payment, whereas last year they received a £70 “bonus”. Carers will watch with disbelief debates about the necessity of giving bankers bonuses worth millions.
Carers save the country up to £87 billion every year and will see their Carer’s Allowance rise by only 80p in 2010.
Carer With Her Daughters
Carers not a priority in NHS framework
Carers will be hugely disappointed that the Government has yet again failed to make supporting carers a priority for the NHS.
The NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11, the Government’s document that tells the NHS what to concentrate on, retains supporting carers as a Tier 3 priority rather than moving it up to Tier 1 or 2. That carers are in Tier 3 was seen as a major cause of Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) not using their £50m allocation from the Carers Strategy to support carers this year.
 
Policy roundup from our volunteer, Tom
Tom started vounteering for The Trust in September and was immediately immersed in the world of the Big Care Debate, lobbying MPs at party conferences and questioning Department of Health officials over the finer detail of the Green Paper.
Working alongside our Policy Officer and blogger extraordinaire, Gordon Conochie, Tom has been a real asset to the work of The Trust and we'll be sad to see him go. And so, as his time with us draws to a close, Tom gives us his take on the last 3 months in politics.
 
Christmas cheer on the boards
Carers have been busy on the boards trying to find out what happened to all the gritters this year (I haven't seen a single one, have you?!), telling truly terrible xmas jokes and generally keeping each other's spirits high on this cold and icy Christmas.

 

Source: The Princess Royal Trust for Carers - Newsletter 22nd Dec 2009.