Some UK carers on less than £2 an hour
A report by the Princess Royal Trust for Carers has highlighted the heartbreaking lifestyle which many people in the UK are suffering when looking after sick relatives at home. It is believed that when taking into account the benefits available for home carers some people are working for as little as £1.54 an hour while saving the state around £87 billion a year.
The plight of home carers is something which has been swept under the carpet for many years although thankfully the coalition government and the former Labour government have finally put the subject on the agenda. When you consider the massive savings, estimated to be around £87 billion a year, which home carers contribute to the UK state and the UK economy perhaps now is payback time?
It was also revealed that a number of home carers are now falling into the trap of lending money from loan sharks at preposterous interest rates. It would seem that state benefits for home carers do not go anywhere near the level of support required for what is for 2 million people a year a 24-hours a day seven days a week "job".
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