'Employers should take a chance on unpaid carers'
A woman who gave up her job to look after her autistic child has urged employers to be more accommodating and open-minded towards unpaid carers.
Elizabeth Dew, from Sheffield, said she had to quit her full time position in 2014, two years after the birth of her son.
Now working again part-time she said she wanted to "challenge the misconception that a carer is going to be a burden on the workplace".
She spoke as new research by the University of Sheffield suggested there were more than five million unpaid carers in England and Wales.
Ms Dew said she had hoped to "pick her career up again" sooner, but her son's needs became more demanding over time.
She said she claimed Universal Credit to "top up" her income, but it "barely" covered their needs.
"There's no recognition that I'm doing the work that someone else isn't doing - it's unpaid and unrecognised work," she said.
"I don't begrudge my children, but it would be really great to have a recognition that it's more than your average parent and I've missed out on earning as much as I potentially could be."
According to the university's Centre for Care unpaid carers are providing more hours of care than ever before.
It said the number of carers who provided 50 hours of unpaid care per week had increased from 24% to 30% between 2011 and 2021 - equivalent to £162bn of care a year.
As part of Carers Week, the centre launched a digital dashboard to compare data on unpaid carers collected by the Office for National Statistics in England and Wales.
Ms Dew said she would like to see "more flexibility in the workplace" for carers and a statutory right to paid carer's leave, having previously had to take unpaid leave she "couldn't afford".
She added carers are "often fantastic employees".
"We have so much experience from juggling all kinds of different situations, and we can often be excellent at problem solving and time management," she said.
A government spokesperson said: "We recognise the immense contribution of carers who selflessly dedicate their time to supporting others.
"We want families to receive the support they deserve which is why we have increased the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold by around an additional £2,000 a year – the biggest rise since it was introduced in 1976.
"We have also launched an independent review into social care, which will include exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support."
Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
'I look after my grandson but don't get carer's allowance'
'I slowly realised I was running two households'
I love dad to bits - but being his carer has broken me
Mum told to 'give up' career to care for daughters
University of Sheffield
Carers Week
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
New facility will 'offer lifeline to SEND pupils'
A facility has opened to help support pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Based at Francis Askew Primary School in Hull, it will be used by Rise Academy and will accommodate up to 25 pupils aged 11 to 16, according to the city council. The Constellation Trust, which runs the academy, said the facility was set to transform opportunities for some of the region's most vulnerable learners. According to the city council, the site would enable the school to meet the growing demand for SEND places in the area and "offer a lifeline to children who have struggled to thrive in mainstream settings". The site, which includes four classrooms, a science room, sensory room, parents' room and an extended dining area, would allow staff to better understand those that have had a difficult start and to help them flourish, the school added. The project is an expansion of Rising Stars, part of Rise Academy, primarily for students with cognition, learning, speech, language and communication needs. They may also have sensory, or other physical impairments or disabilities. Councillor Linda Tock, portfolio holder for children's services at the council, said: "Witnessing the children in this environment and how much it is benefitting them is fantastic to see. "The enthusiasm and passion from both staff and students shone throughout our visit." Philip Mountain Wade, project lead and executive head of alternative curriculum for the trust, said the council's investment had allowed them to focus on designing a learning environment that would nurture emotional wellbeing, build resilience and unlock potential. Dr Cathy Taylor, CEO of the trust, added: "This is not just about a building, it's about creating a place where children can find safety, rebuild confidence and feel hope for the future." The project, which refurbished and repurposed a disused area of an existing building, was backed by the council's Children, Young People and Family Services' High Needs fund. Work began in December 2024 and was completed in spring. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Hospital launches animated video for SEND children Special school plans extension to boost places Hull City Council
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Employers should take a chance on unpaid carers'
A woman who gave up her job to look after her autistic child has urged employers to be more accommodating and open-minded towards unpaid carers. Elizabeth Dew, from Sheffield, said she had to quit her full time position in 2014, two years after the birth of her son. Now working again part-time she said she wanted to "challenge the misconception that a carer is going to be a burden on the workplace". She spoke as new research by the University of Sheffield suggested there were more than five million unpaid carers in England and Wales. Ms Dew said she had hoped to "pick her career up again" sooner, but her son's needs became more demanding over time. She said she claimed Universal Credit to "top up" her income, but it "barely" covered their needs. "There's no recognition that I'm doing the work that someone else isn't doing - it's unpaid and unrecognised work," she said. "I don't begrudge my children, but it would be really great to have a recognition that it's more than your average parent and I've missed out on earning as much as I potentially could be." According to the university's Centre for Care unpaid carers are providing more hours of care than ever before. It said the number of carers who provided 50 hours of unpaid care per week had increased from 24% to 30% between 2011 and 2021 - equivalent to £162bn of care a year. As part of Carers Week, the centre launched a digital dashboard to compare data on unpaid carers collected by the Office for National Statistics in England and Wales. Ms Dew said she would like to see "more flexibility in the workplace" for carers and a statutory right to paid carer's leave, having previously had to take unpaid leave she "couldn't afford". She added carers are "often fantastic employees". "We have so much experience from juggling all kinds of different situations, and we can often be excellent at problem solving and time management," she said. A government spokesperson said: "We recognise the immense contribution of carers who selflessly dedicate their time to supporting others. "We want families to receive the support they deserve which is why we have increased the Carer's Allowance earnings threshold by around an additional £2,000 a year – the biggest rise since it was introduced in 1976. "We have also launched an independent review into social care, which will include exploring the needs of unpaid carers who provide vital care and support." Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds or catch up with the latest episode of Look North. 'I look after my grandson but don't get carer's allowance' 'I slowly realised I was running two households' I love dad to bits - but being his carer has broken me Mum told to 'give up' career to care for daughters University of Sheffield Carers Week
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
The cost of caring for a loved one
It's Carers' Week, when we're encouraged to recognise the effort put in by unpaid carers looking after their loved ones. As more people live longer and need more care, it should also be a chance to consider what we'd do if we found ourselves in this position, and someone we love needed care. You might want to step in and help, so it's worth understanding the potential costs — from the extras you'd need at home to the cost of any lost income. In many cases, the whole family will need to have a frank conversation about how to support the person offering care, as well as the person needing it. If your family member needs professional care, the question of costs becomes even more pressing. On average, you'll pay about £50,000 a year for residential care and £66,000 for a nursing home, but the averages hide some big costs, and plenty of people pay well over £100,000 a year. You may be able to get some help from the state, but there's a process you need to go through first. It starts with a "needs assessment", done by your local authority, who will work out what care the person needs. Read more: How much does it cost to become a driver in the UK? Next you go through a financial assessment, which looks at the assets of the person needing care. If they're getting care at home, or they're in a care home temporarily, this assessment won't include the value of their own home. If they're going into a care home permanently, it may include their home, unless someone from specific groups also lives there. This includes a partner, any of their children under the age of 18, or a relative who is disabled or over the age of 60. In England, if they have assets of less than £14,250, the council may pay for care — although it will also take their income into account. If they have between £14,250 and £23,250, they will have to contribute to the cost of care, but if they have assets over £23,250, they'll need to foot the entire bill. If your loved one has complex medical needs, they should be assessed for NHS Continuing Healthcare. This can pay for all their care in some cases, but don't assume they'll qualify. It's not enough to have caring needs around the clock, they'll have to have very high medical needs too, requiring regular intervention from medical experts and professionals. If you end up needing to pay for care for someone, there are a few benefits that will help. If they are over state pension age, they could get the attendance allowance — or pension age disability in Scotland. However, this will barely scratch the surface of costs. It means you may need to speak to anyone in your life who might need care, to see what preparations they've put in place. A piece of research we did a while ago found that fewer than half of people thought their loved ones could pay for care from their savings. It means you should consider their pension too. A guaranteed monthly pension income will go towards the cost of care. If they're using pension drawdown, they may have money in their pension pot that can be used too. For younger people, this often makes sense as a way to save for your own care needs, especially if you're saving into a workplace pension and your employer is helping to build the pot. Read more: What is the Pension Investment Review? However, the value of the property will often need to be used. Some people will rent the family home out to cover fees, although this is risky because rental income isn't guaranteed, and will be depleted by maintenance and repairs. You can consider equity release to free up some of the value in the property, but this is expensive. There will be a set up cost, and usually any interest on the loan will roll up, and needs to repaid when the property is sold. There's also the option of a deferred payment arrangement with the local council, which is a bit like equity release, but run by the council and slightly less expensive. But for many people, the most sensible option ends up being selling up. You might pay fees from the lump sum as you go along, but it's worth considering an immediate needs care annuity instead. These pay a fixed amount to the care home every month for the rest of their life, and tend to cover the gap between pension income and the cost of care. Talking to your loved ones about care, and how they'd pay for it, is difficult, but it's a far easier conversation well in advance, when they have time to make a plan. It's much more stressful to try to discuss this at the point they already need care and are starting to panic about how they're going to pay for more: How to tell if you're rich Should people keep working until later in life? How to get your children to move outError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
