Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of increasing the carer's allowance.

The Government recognises and appreciates the vital contribution made by informal carers who provide invaluable support for relatives, partners, friends and neighbours who may be ill, frail or disabled.

The Government is already supporting carers in a number of ways, including through the benefit system. Since 2010 the rate of Carer’s Allowance (CA) has increased from £53.90 to £64.60 a week, meaning an additional £550 a year for carers. By 2022/23 we are forecast to spend £3.7bn a year on CA, a real terms increase of more than a third since 2016/17. The new rate of CA for 2019/20 will be announced in due course as part of our annual uprating statement.

And there is additional help for those carers on the lowest incomes who need help the most. For example, in 2017, six out of ten households on Universal Credit (UC) with a carer entitlement received a monthly award amount of over £400: this is on top of any CA they may receive. Many carers receiving UC will receive more money than others who receive these benefits, including some jobseekers for example.