New call to increase Carer’s Allowance to £182 each week to match half National Living Wage rate

A new online petition is calling for reforms to Carer’s Allowance, a benefit delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Petition creator, Austin Powell-Allen, proposes that the benefit should be paid at a rate to match 35 hours at 50 per cent of the National Living Wage rate.

This suggested increase would see nearly one million people claiming Carer’s Allowance, including 83,903 living in Scotland, receive £182. 36 each week, some £729.44 every four-week pay period. The current weekly rate is £76.75 and is due to rise to £81.90 from April 8, 2024.

The earnings threshold is also set to rise from £139 per week to £151 from that date. The petition argues that unpaid carers are “expected to provide at least 35 hours a week care so the allowance is equivalent to £2.10 an hour”.

Mr Powell-Allen states in the ‘Increase Carer’s Allowance to equal 35 hours at 50% of the living wage’ petition: “Currently you’re expected to provide at least 35 hours a week care so the allowance is equivalent to £2.10 an hour. We believe this is taking advantage of hard working unpaid carers, who sacrifice their own life and work prospects.

“Many carers are exhausted, and if we want to work there are strict limits on earnings. We believe carers are taken advantage of and under-supported.”

The petition has been posted on the Petitions-Parliament website. At 10,000 signatures it would be entitled to a response from the UK Government, at 100,000 it would be considered by the Petitions Committee for debate in Parliament - you can read it in full here.

The latest figures from the DWP show that at the end of May 2023, there were 971,686 people in receipt of Carer’s Allowance across Scotland, England and Wales, including 550 living abroad.

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