Carers Strategy

Baroness Gardner of Parkes Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2014 Lords Chamber

[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.

[Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Con)]

My Lords, I understood from the Queen’s Speech that at last there was going to be some justice for certain people—not those who do voluntary caring but people who are employed in that capacity. I have explained to the House before that these people and their organisations are used by most councils and that a person is only paid for the 15 minutes or half hour that they work for someone. There is no pay then for what may be an hour’s travel onwards. Those people are earning something like £2 an hour and because they are considered to be on self-employed rates of pay they simply do not get any more money. I understood that that was going to be changed. Can the Minister tell us when it is going to be changed or whether it is all just speculation in terms of this new strategy?

[Baroness Jolly]

Certainly there are some questionable employment practices within the care industry. I know that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State at BIS has got his eye on employment practices. I feel sure that this issue will be swept up within that.