Joint open letter to the Chancellor

Cloverleaf (including its Carers Count services) has co-signed a letter to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, along with Carers UK and 64 other organisations, regarding the cost of living crisis and unpaid carers.

We are asking the Government to:

1. Uprate all benefits, including Carer’s Allowance and the Carer Element of Universal Credit, in line with current levels of inflation before next April – ideally as soon as possible – to ensure that vulnerable groups can survive the winter months.

2. Provide a top-up payment for unpaid carers with an entitlement to Carer’s Allowance to support them through the winter and recognise the additional costs they are facing amid the unprecedented cost of living crisis.

3. Raise the earnings limit for Carer’s Allowance to the value of 21 hours work a week at the National Living Wage rate (i.e., £199.50), to allow carers to work more hours a week - where they are able to do so - without losing their entitlement.

4. Review all carers’ benefits, including Carer’s Allowance, to ensure that these work well at supporting all types of unpaid carers and preventing them from falling into financial difficulties as a result of their caring role.

Click on the link for a full transcript of the letter:

https://www.carersuk.org/images/News_and_campaigns/Joint_open_letter_to_Jeremy_Hunt_111122.pdf