SDLP Ballyarnett councillor Catherine McDaid
There are 17,978 unpaid carers in the Derry City and Strabane District Council area.
As a result of the motion, Council will engage with Carers UK to become a Carer Confident workplace. Council will also write to the Minister for the Economy calling on him to introduce legislation without delay that guarantees at least five days of paid carers’ leave.
The Council will also write to the Minister for Communities to call on him to work with the Minister of Finance to raise the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold to the equivalent of 21 hours per week at the National Living Wage.
Cllr. McDaid said: “There are almost 18,000 unpaid carers across our city and district, providing help and support to their loved ones each and every day.
“Those unpaid carers suffer from an absolutely unacceptable lack of support and we simply aren’t giving them the help that they need and deserve.
“In addition, 60% of unpaid carers are women and Carers NI has recently highlighted how the lack of support currently provided by government fails women in particular, pushing many out of the labour market altogether.
“There is also a compelling economic case to support unpaid carers, along with our moral duty to do so, since unpaid carers actually save the Western Trust £800m every single year.
“I strongly believe that as a society we need to look after our workforce and ensure that people can remain in the jobs that they have worked hard to get and often love.
“It’s welcome that Britain has introduced new legislation to guarantee five days of unpaid leave. However, this represents the absolute minimum that should be introduced here and I think we can actually go further and lead on this issue.
“The Minister for the Economy should legislate to provide at least five days of paid leave for unpaid carers. In addition, the current threshold of Carer’s Allowance is simply not enough and must be increased by the Minister for Communities.
“I am pleased that Council backed the SDLP call to take practical measures locally by ensuring that Council becomes a Carer Confident workplace as well as calling on the Ministers in Stormont to step up to the plate once and for all and care for our carers.”
Tags: