Council backs Lib Dem proposal for extra allowance for unpaid carers

WARRINGTON Borough Council has given unanimous support to a call for an increase of £20 a week in the allowance for unpaid carers.

The controlling Labour Party had put forward a Motion at the full Council Meeting on Monday asking Warrington’s MPs to demand that the Government provide more realistic funding to avoid a ‘catastrophe for social care’. The Party accepted an amendment put forward by the Liberal Democrat group asking for support for unpaid carers too.
Lib Dem Councillor for Appleton, Judith Wheeler said, “There are an estimated 900,000 full-time carers in this country. Some are young, some elderly, and many of working age who give up work to care for friends and relatives. They do a remarkable and important job in very difficult circumstances, facing challenges and struggles on a daily basis. Life has got harder for many during the pandemic as day centres have been shut and respite care curtailed. Many carers have been unable to take a break, even for brief periods.
Carers need to look after their own mental and physical health to stay strong for their loved ones. Many are now exhausted and are worried how they will cope over the winter. If this was not hard enough, many carers face extreme financial hardship. They rely on a Carer’s Allowance of only £67.25 a week.
“We want both Warrington MPs to request that the government raises the Carer’s Allowance by £1000 year, the same as the uplift for Universal Credit. We must do far more to support our wonderful carers.”
Afterwards Stockton Heath Councillor Peter Walker added, “We were very pleased that the Labour group took our amendment on board. This call for a £1000 boost is dear to the heart of our national leader Ed Davey who was an unpaid carer for his mother when he was younger. It is estimated there are about 4000 carers in Warrington who would benefit from such an increase. Without unpaid carers, we would have to spend far more on professional domiciliary and residential care.”