Standing up for Carers

You may have seen on Mayor Dave Hodgson's facebook page and twitter that Mayor Dave is supporting the 'Stand up for Carers' campaign.

In his most recent email to resident's Mayor Dave wrote:

The number of carers who have died of Coronavirus is heartbreakingly high. They have put their lives at risk to look after our loved ones - and many have tragically lost their lives.

Yet carers are still being forgotten and ignored by the Government. Throughout the pandemic, Ministers have failed to protect social care staff: from the lack of tests and PPE to the lack of support care homes.

I am hearing so many stories about unpaid carers who are struggling during this lockdown. My heart goes out to them. Unpaid carers are far too often forgotten or ignored. You can support the campaign to 'Stand up for Carers' at change.libdems.org.uk/carers

£67 a week is not enough to live on - but that's what thousands of unpaid carers receive on Carer's Allowance. It has to change. The campaign is fighting to raise Carer's Allowance for unpaid carers by £1,000 a year.

Millions of unpaid carers have faced serious financial hardship during the pandemic, and shockingly the Government is offering just an extra 5p a day - this is frankly an insult.

The Government recently abstained on a motion to cancel the cut in Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit in April. Liberal Democrats voted against cutting support, and called for the uplift to be extended to carers and all those claiming legacy benefits. There is a huge amount of uncertainty and anxiety for people who desperately need this support. The Government should act now to extend the uplift - and expand it to legacy benefits and Carer's Allowance.

Please back the campaign to Stand up for Carers at change.libdems.org.uk/carers and ask your friends and family to add their names too.

I am proud Bedford Borough Council are working in partnership with Carers in Bedfordshire to provide free PPE to unpaid carers. If you are an unpaid carer living in Bedford Borough, or providing personal care to someone outside the Borough and need PPE, find out more here.