Hull North MP sponsors landmark Bill on carers' rights

Hull North MP Diana Johnson has joined forces with Carers UK to sponsor a new law designed to help identify and boost support for millions of carers.

There are 8,299 people in Hull North, around 23,000 across Hull, and five million people across the country who have caring responsibilities.

A new 'Private Member's Bill, a piece of legislation proposed by a backbench MP rather than the Government, has been put forward by Barbara Keeley MP.

Diana Johnson MP is one of eleven MPs who have thrown their weight behind it by 'co-sponsoring' the Social Care and Identification of Carer Bill, which comes before the House of Common this Friday (7 September).

The Bill, drafted by national charity Carers UK, seeks to:

Revolutionise the way that local authorities plan social care services in their areas for people who by services themselves as well as those who rely on council social care services particularly looking at how disabled people and families who care can stay in work.

Focus on ensuring the right services are planned and developed to help carers struggling to juggle work and caring for ill or disabled loved ones.

Create duties on the NHS, schools, colleges and universities to identify young carers and direct them to support and advice.

Carers often take a long time to identify themselves as carers. Carers UK found that 25% of carers took five years or more to recognise themselves as a carer and each year about 2.2 million people start caring and a similar proportion cease caring. Many just see themselves as sons, daughters, siblings, partners or parents supporting loved ones and do not see themselves as 'carers' missing out on vital financial support as a result. By placing duties on health and education bodies, the Bill would speed up the identification of children and young people who care who are at particular risk of not being identified and would allow help and support to be made available earlier.

The Bill also draws attention to the growing problems of people being forced to give up work to care putting at risk their family finances but also costing the UK an estimated £5.3 billion a year in lost tax revenues and additional benefit payments. Currently an estimated one in six carers end up giving up work to care and a Carers UK survey last year found that 31% of working age carers did so because support services in their area were not suitable.

The Government has published a draft Care and Support Bill, which builds a new rights and support base for care in the future. Most of this Private Members' Bill however goes further than that, placing a vital focus on care services that help families to juggle work with caring for a disabled or older relative; and helping disabled people return to education, training or employment.

Hull North MP Diana Johnson said: "Carers make a massive contribution to our society. Sadly many of them only get support when they reach breaking point.

"This Bill would help to ensure that GPs and hospitals are identifying carers, getting them support early. It also makes sure that schools, colleges and universities, such as Hull University, are identifying and supporting young carers who may be struggling to care for disabled parents or other relatives.

"With an ageing population we also need to make sure that we are planning for the future and delivering enough support for older and disabled people and their families. This legislation would help councils to plan and encourage services that help people to stay in and remain in work.

"I am hoping that disabled people, families providing care, local organisations and anyone else who has an interest will back this Bill."

Emily Holzhausen, Director of Policy at Carers UK, welcomed the bill: "Every day we at Carers UK hear about carers who've been struggling to care for their families, not knowing what support is available to. This Bill would make identifying carers and getting them the support they need, a real priority for public services.

"It would also bring about a revolution in the way we deliver social care services for the first time looking at whether families have enough access to care, particularly the support they need to juggle work and care."