Debate contribution: Support for Carers

Debate contribution by Ms Sian Mulholland on 10 February 2025.

MLA

Ms Sian Mulholland

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

10 February 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Support for Carers

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4791049

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank Gerry Carroll for tabling the motion, which is really important and offers tangible solutions to the challenges faced by so many unpaid carers. It does not address all the challenges by any stretch, but it is a crucial starting point and highlights an issue of paramount importance. Like Gerry, I will focus attention on a long-standing inequity that has been ignored by successive UK Governments: the relentless struggle of unpaid carers in Northern Ireland, whose invaluable contributions are too often met with poverty, hardship and worsening mental and physical health. Our amendment adds an important dimension and another solution by emphasising the need for a cross-departmental approach to tackling the issue. The challenge is inherently cross-cutting, which is why we also call on the Economy Minister to prioritise paid carer's leave as a fundamental component of the solution. Additionally, the amendment broadens the scope by urging the Department of Health to consider providing adequate access to respite services. A joined-up approach like that is essential if we are to address the profound challenges that carers face and deliver the real, meaningful change that they so urgently deserve. As Gerry pointed out, there are more than 222,000 unpaid carers across our community. That represents one in eight adults. They dedicate their lives to supporting loved ones with disabilities, long-term illnesses or age-related conditions, and their contributions are staggering. The figure of £5·8 billion annually equates to 85% of the Health Department's entire budget. I loved Gerry's analogy of the invisible hand that keeps the economy up, but all that those carers face are immense challenges and insufficient support. The Carer Poverty Commission found that the poverty rate for carers in Northern Ireland stands at 28·3%. That is considerably higher than the poverty rate amongst adults in Northern Ireland who do not have caring roles, which stands at around 17·4%, and that for carers in the rest of the UK. That is unacceptable. I will outline why change is needed, how we can potentially bring about change and the enormous benefits such change will deliver not only for carers but for those whom they care for, their employers and our wider economy as a result. Recently, I spoke to a woman who provides full-time care for her mother, who has advanced dementia. She described how her savings have all but disappeared. She relies on credit cards to cover her everyday essentials. The stress of mounting debt keeps her awake at night, and she constantly fears the bill that will come in that she just will not be able to pay. She told me that, despite all that, her biggest concern is ensuring, first, that her mum has no idea of the mounting debts and that she has everything to make her feel safe and comfortable. Tragically, her story is not unique, as Gerry explained. We know from the state of caring survey published by Carers NI in January that 28% of carers struggle to make ends meet. That figure rises to 44% for those who receive carers' allowance. Some 63% worry about their living costs, and 15% report being in debt because of their caring responsibilities. The system punishes people for stepping up and stepping in for those who need them most. It has to change. Carers are not only grappling with long-term financial insecurity. Many endure daily hardship. According to the same survey, 58% of carers struggle to afford their electricity and gas, and 34% cannot afford food. Of those who struggle with food costs, 62% have skipped meals to ensure that the person whom they care for has enough to eat. A young carer told me, "I have had to turn down job opportunities because they just do not fit around my caring responsibilities. I miss out on so many other things that people my age take for granted, like spending time with my friends or saving to go to university, but my dad depends on me, and I would not want it any other way". Too many carers suffer in silence, concealing their struggles to avoid burdening, or feeling as though they are burdening, those whom they care for. That should not be the reality of caregiving in our developed society. I want to change that narrative. Carers want to work, but barriers stand in their way. Our caring system sometimes forces them to choose between caregiving and earning an income. Many workplaces lack the flexibility that carers need. I know that that is not your responsibility, Minister, hence our amendment, by which we seek to introduce a cross-departmental approach. Even with the increase in earnings limit last year and the recently announced uplift, carer's allowance is so restrictive that many carers are forced to choose between reducing their hours or leaving their job altogether. That is why we want to see that cross-departmental solution. We have been calling for a tapered approach to carer's allowance, as with other welfare benefits, to give people that flexibility. The survey that I mentioned shows that 55% of carers are in employment but that 75% find that balancing work and care is really stressful. Nearly a third have had to leave their jobs, saying that caring responsibilities have impacted on their ability to save for their retirement, therefore impacting on their future. That is not just personal inconvenience; it is a massive loss to our workforce and economy. Making those changes is not simply about fairness; it is about unlocking immense benefits for carers, the people whom they care for, employers and the wider economy. When we support carers, the ripple effects are profound: for carers, there is financial security, peace of mind and an improved quality of life; for the people being cared for, having happier and healthier carers means that they receive a higher quality of care; for employers, it means retaining skilled employees, reduced staff turnover and improved workplace well-being; and, when it comes to the economy, supporting carers to remain in employment could save millions, increase productivity and boost tax receipts. We have to focus on practical solutions. The 'Policy measures to tackle poverty among unpaid carers in Northern Ireland' document from October 2023 highlights that one such solution is the carer's allowance supplement, which is mentioned in the motion. It could be a payment of £270, paid twice annually, mirroring the Scottish scheme. That model has been shown to help carers in Scotland to cover their essential expenses, reduce debt and improve their mental health and well-being. It enjoys widespread support among unpaid carers and stakeholders in Northern Ireland, who see it as an ideal starting point for reform. Crucially, the supplement would lift 3,400 carers out of poverty immediately, with that figure rising to 4,400 by 2033, reducing the deep poverty rate by 2·8 percentage points. Equally vital are statutory paid carers' leave and flexible working arrangements. We think that those measures could empower between 4,800 and 8,900 unpaid carers to stay in employment, as reported in 'Making the case for change: supporting unpaid carers in Northern Ireland' from October 2024. In the Carers NI survey, 82% of carers identified paid carer's leave as being essential for balancing work and care. Those policies have the potential to save the Government over £40 million, with businesses benefiting from millions of pounds of savings from employee retention. We have to reform our social care system in order to provide reliable, high-quality replacement care. In the survey that I mentioned, 74% of carers said that "affordable, accessible and reliable" replacement care is crucial. Expanding our respite services, domiciliary care services and day services, as well as having tailored support for young adults with special needs, would not only give carers the chance to rest but improve the well-being of those for whom they care. This may be a difficult issue, but it is solvable. If we fail to act, we will continue to condemn carers to a life of poverty, burnout and isolation. If we take decisive action today, we can transform the lives of thousands of unpaid carers, giving them financial security, employment opportunities and the social care that they deserve. They are not asking for luxuries; they are asking for fairness, recognition and support. It is our duty to deliver that. Like anything in life, the more we give, the greater the effect will be.

1,390 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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