Baroness Wheeler
Main Page: Baroness Wheeler (Labour - Life peer)
Baroness Jolly
Yes. That issue came up throughout the passage of the Care Bill. There was a lot of anxiety on behalf of local authorities. The impact assessment has committed extra money for carers’ rights and an additional £69.4 million for 2015-16 through the Better Care Fund, rising to £192.6 million by 2020.
Baroness Wheeler (Lab)
My Lords, on the issue of benefits, Carers UK figures show that by 2018 the Government will have cut carers’ benefits by an estimated £1 billion through the reduction in support with council tax, housing costs, the overall numbers receiving the carer’s allowance and the benefits cap. With their carers and disabled people losing support from the benefits system in this way, what assessment have the Government made of the very serious knock-on impact on social care and families’ abilities to provide care?
Baroness Jolly
That assessment will come as a result of the work being done on the report that was referred to earlier. However, I can tell the noble Baroness that the carer’s allowance will increase faster than wages and in line with inflation this year, from £59.75 to £61.35. A household will be exempt from the benefit cap where someone is receiving carer’s allowance and also there is someone within the household in receipt of a qualifying disability benefit, such as PIP, DLA housing benefit or attendance allowance.