Carers Poverty Charter reaches Number 10

Backed by Macmillan Cancer Support, Carers UK’s Carers Poverty Charter calls on the government to set out a timetable of action to improve carers' benefits in order to:

• protect carers from  falling into poverty or financial hardship
• reflect carers' different circumstances
• help carers to combine caring with paid work and study
• be easy to understand and straightforward to claim.

One of the carers who delivered the Charter to Downing Street was Don Brereton, Chair of Carers UK. He said "This Charter sends a message loud and clear to Government. Warm words and promises are not enough - carers need action now to stop them falling into poverty as a result of caring."

In the lead up to the handover, the Poverty Charter has also received high profile support from The Daily Mirror, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Oxfam, the Alzheimers Society, the union USDAW, Citizens Advice and 15 other major national charities. The Charter has been signed by 3,000 members of the public, and more than 200 local carers centres and groups. A supporting parliamentary motion put down by Paul Burstow MP has attracted the support of 69 MPs.

Source: Carers UK|

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