Give unpaid carers a fair break.

Unpaid carers are carers outside the state or private sectors who provide essential support to their loved ones. They are the unsung heroes of the pandemic. In Hampshire we have a total of over 18,600 unpaid carers, and just under 13,000 receive a Carer's Allowance of £67.25 per week. These unpaid carers face big challenges every day, and their lives have been made even harder by the pandemic. Many carers face financial hardship, and they have been struggling for months, often relying on foodbanks to feed themselves and the people they care for.

Frankly this is not good enough. The Liberal Democrats have been campaigning since last November to increase the Carer's Allowance from its current rate of £67.25 a week to £87.25, in line with the £20 a week uplift in Universal Credit announced at the start of the pandemic. There are also 6,000 people who are entitled to Carer's Allowance but do not receive it due to overlapping benefits, mostly older carers on low incomes, and they should be given the extra £20 a week as well.

Currently, the Conservative Government plans only to raise the payment by 35p a week from April to £67.60. I would argue that outside the question of fairness, personal experience tells me unpaid carers save the state considerable amounts of money. If the unpaid carer system collapses, the taxpayer will have to step in and bear the burden which is far from insignificant. Care home costs are at the very least £500 per week. Our wonderful unpaid carers deserve our support, but they are too often forgotten or ignored. Demand better for them.