Unpaid Carers
Baroness Monckton of Dallington Forest Excerpts
Wednesday 8th July 2026
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(2 weeks, 6 days ago)
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Baroness Monckton of Dallington Forest (Con)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that parents who look after children with 24-hour needs, and who cannot get to work, need as much support as everyone else?
Lord Leong (Lab)
Absolutely. We recognise that carer’s allowance has not kept pace with the way that many carers now combine work and caring. The current earnings cliff edge can create uncertainty and unfair outcomes. That is why the Government have launched a call for evidence to modernise the benefit, including on whether payments should gradually taper as earnings rise. We have also increased the weekly earnings limit to £204. We want a system that supports carers to work, rather than one that penalises them for doing so.