A Fair Deal for Family Carers

Unpaid carers are the backbone of Britain’s social care system. Over 60 thousand people in Wirral are providing unpaid care.

As our population continues to age and more people face long-term health challenges, the demand for unpaid carers will only increase. 

We need to give carers the financial and emotional support they need to care for their loved ones while living their own lives to the fullest. Lib Dem policy would achieve this by:

• Stopping the Prosecution of Carers for Overpayments: We will end the scandal of carers being penalised for earning a little too much by stopping the pursuit of Carer’s Allowance overpayments. 
• Raise the Earnings Limit: We will raise the amount carers can earn before losing their Carer’s Allowance to a higher threshold, so they aren’t penalised for working. We will also introduce a taper to avoid a sudden cliff-edge removal of benefits, allowing carers to balance work and caregiving without fear of losing support.
• Introduce Paid Carer’s Leave: Building on the unpaid leave secured by Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain, we would introduce paid carer’s leave and respite breaks so that unpaid carers no longer have to choose between their jobs and their caring responsibilities.
• Support young carers: Support the Young Carers Covenant to break down the barriers to opportunity faced by young carers. Introduce a cross-government national All-Ages Carers Strategy.
• Support for Kinship Carers: Lib Dems welcome the pilot schemes to provide support for kinship carers and urge the government to move forward quickly to expand the scheme throughout the country. Local information can be accessed via https://www.wirralsandbox.co.uk/kinship-care

Carers are not just support for their loved ones—they are the glue holding our fragile social care system together. They deserve more than token acknowledgements or empty promises. They deserve a system that will fight for them, and ease their burdens.