Lord Bishop of Southwark

The Government recognises the challenges unpaid carers are facing and is determined to provide them with the help and support they need and deserve. It is looking closely at how the benefit system currently does this.

Universal Credit provides support to carers on low incomes, whether they are in paid employment or not. Carer’s Allowance, by contrast, is available to all unpaid carers, provided they are not in ‘gainful employment’. This is currently defined as having earnings not exceeding £151 a week net of allowable expenses. This level is reviewed annually alongside the Secretary of State’s statutory review of State pension and benefit rates. Many Carer’s Allowance recipients are in households also receiving Universal Credit, where the structure of tapers and work allowances (where applicable) effectively takes precedence over ‘gainful employment’ test in Carer’s Allowance.

With respect to overpayments of Carer’s Allowance due to the interaction with earnings, the Government is moving quickly to understand exactly what has gone wrong so that it can set out its plan to put things right.

The Government recognises the invaluable service provided by the millions of unpaid carers across the country who provide care and continuity of support for vulnerable people every day. It recognises the challenges they face and is determined to provide them with the support they deserve.

The Government welcomes the report published by Carers UK, and is considering its findings. Ministers were pleased to meet with the organisation, and with carers, to discuss the issues raised shortly after publication of the report.

More broadly, in respect of overpayments of Carer’s Allowance, the Government is moving quickly to understand exactly what has gone wrong so that it can set out its plan to put things right.

The UK has been consistent in calling for the release of all remaining prisoners of war, and the return of the remains of the deceased, from the conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan. We were encouraged by the release of 34 prisoners of war in December 2023. The Foreign Secretary met both Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers at the European Political Community summit in Blenheim on 18 July and urged them to seize the opportunity to secure an historic peace treaty.

The Home Office continues to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including ILPA and the 3million, as we roll out eVisas and are grateful for their feedback.

eVisas are a key part of delivering a border and immigration system which will be ‘digital by default’ by 2025, a change that will enhance the customer experience, deliver excellent value, and increase the immigration system’s security and efficiency.

We have been inviting people to come forward at scale since March to register for an account so that they can access their eVisa. We will continue to deliver an extensive communications campaign to explain how people can register for a UKVI account and access their eVisa.

The transition to eVisas does not impact a customer’s underlying immigration status. For many, the end 2024 deadline will have no impact; most people don’t need to prove their immigration status on a day-to-day basis, and many of the checks performed will be unaffected by the expiry of Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs).

BRP holders will also still be able to use the online right to work and rent services to prove their rights once their BRP expires – provided they still have valid status – although we will encourage them to register for an account and to use that to access those services.

Customers will be able to create an account quickly and easily post-2024, using their expired BRP if needed, at www.gov.uk/evisa. There are also services in place, via our contact centre, to support vulnerable users and enable status to be verified in alternative ways on an emergency basis if a customer is not able to create their account immediately.

Notwithstanding these safeguards, we are keen to ensure that all customers take action to create an account and access their eVisa before the end of the year, to ensure they have the smoothest possible experience.