General Election Pledge - Carers

CarerWatch asked all Prospective Parlimentary Candidates in the General Election to support the following pledge.

Carer Watch are concerned that all past / present governments have failed to recognise that family carers are at the heart of the care system. Unless family carers are acknowledged and supported, both financially and through care services, no new system will be sustainable. Family carers are not an optional extra to be
added on as an after thought.

Any new government needs to face up to this and make some speed in deciding how to adequately fund family carers. Ten years of nothing was serious, TWENTY YEARS OF NOTHING IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Carer Watch believe that ANY Government should recognise that carers are a unique group within the benefits system because they have to fulfil the government contracted 35 hours of care to qualify for Carers Allowance.

Carer Watch calls on all Prospective Parliamentary Candidates to pledge their support by adding their name and a comment here or contacting admin@carerwatch.com

1. demanding an IMMEDIATE review of Carers Benefits
Carers should be paid a level of financial support that

1. eliminates carer poverty and

2.empowers carers to achieve dignity and quality of life.
The present allowance of £53.10 is an affront to human dignity and fails to support carers..see notes below

2. protecting Disability Benefits ( over 65s ).
One of the objectives of originally introducing AA was that it helped and empowered the claimant, it gave them the independence and flexibility of directing the spending of their allowance based on their own judgement of their immediate and individual needs.. AA is an entirely fit for purpose benefit just as it is, LEAVE IT
ALONE.

Many thanks to the following candidates who signed

Pledge to End Carer Impoverishment -

Caroline Lucas, Green Party parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion.

Joseph Healy, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Vauxhall

Darren Johnson, Green Party Candidate for Lewisham Deptford

Roger Barlow – LibDem PPC for Macclesfield

Jim Ferguson, Conservative Party Candidate – Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey

Jessica Goldfinch Green Party PPC Norwich North

Kevin Hind Labour PPC Bury St Edmunds

Anne Gray Green Parliamentary Candidate for Tottenham

Labour Representation Committee

Michael Meacher Labour PPC Oldham West and Royton

Andrew Newby Green Party parliamentary candidate for Hendon

Sarah Evans Labour’s PPC for NW Hampshire

Michael Connarty – Labour Linlithgow and East Falkirk

Steve Barnard Green Party Candidate Sheffield Hallam

Malcolm Bailey -Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Mid Bedfordshire

Lee Skevington – Labour Party candidate for the Yeovil constituency

Scottish National Party

Dafydd Trystan Davies -Plaid Cymru candidate for Cynon Valley

Paul Bell – one of the Labour Candidates for Telegraph Hill Ward, Lewisham Borough Council

Steve Dawe -Press Officer of Kent Green Party

Susan Murray Green Party candidate for Lewes

Peter Hirst Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Congleton

Chris Tucker Liberal Candidate for Slough

Prue Bray , Lib Dem candidate for Wokingham

Dr Juliet Williams Liberal Democrat PPC for Brighton Kemptown

Andrew Dakers Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats

Michael Mullaney – Bosworth Liberal Democrat

Robert Adamson -Lib Dem Candidate for East Yorkshire

Richard Baum Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Bury North

Parmjit Singh Gill – Liberal Democrat PPC for Leicester South and former MP

Nigel Bennett – Liberal Democrat PPC for South Suffolk

Mike Popham – Prospective MP for Bristol East Liberal Democrats

Derek Deedman – Liberal Democrat Candidate for Arundel & South Downs

Andrew Aalders -Dunthorpe Liberal Democrat PPC for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

Sally McIntosh – Lib Dem Candidate for Mid Derbyshire

Geoff Williams – Lib Dem candidate for South Basildon & East Thurrock

Alexis Saliou DIOUF -Liberal Democrats PPC for South Derbyshire

Julian Huppert – Liberal Democrat PPC for Cambridge

Peter Fisher – LibDem PPC for Ribble South

Terrye Teverson – PPC Truro Falmouth Liberal Democrats

Dave Naghi -PPC for Faversham & Mid-Kent for the Lib-Dems

Peter Tyzack-Liberal Democrat candidate for Filton & Bradley Stoke

Harrish Bisnauthsing -Liberal Democrats PPC for GRANTHAM AND STAMFORD CONSTITUENCY

Trevor Carbin – LibDem PPC South West Wiltshire

Julian Brazil – Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Totnes

Barry Rabone -Lib dems paliamentary candidate

Paul Brighton – LibDem PPC Alyn& Deeside

Chris Williams , Plaid Cymru Party of Wales Parliamentary Candidate for Cardiff Central

David Chappell – Lib Dem PPC for Bury St Edmunds

Mike Bell – Liberal Democrat PPC for Weston-super-Mare

Paul Elgood – Lib Dem Brighton and Hove

Dr Jon Underwood – PPC Tiverton and Honiton Liberal Democrats

Roger Barlow – Liberal Democrat Candidate for Macclesfield

Julia Davis – Liberal Democrat PPC for Stevenage

Sally FitzHarris – Lib Dem PPC for Kingswood

Emma Dixon – Green Party Parliamentary Candidate, Islington North

Chris Bowers – Lib Dem PPC Wealden

Helen Flynn – Liberal Democrat PPC for Skipton & Ripon

Jamie Saddler – Lib Dem PPC Wirral South

Wilson Chowdhry – Green Party Candidate Ilford South

George Heron – Green Party candidate for Bury South

Steve Webb MP – LibDem Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Richard Gadsden – Liberal Democrat PPC for Worsley and Eccles South

Peter Wilcock – LibDem PPC for Saffron Walden

Ruth Coleman – LibDem PPC for Leeds West

Carol Woods – Lib Dem PPC City of Durham

Llyr Huws Gruffydd – Plaid Cymru candidate for Clwyd West

Chris Took – Ashford LibDem PPC

Dr Richard Grayson, Liberal Democrat PPC, Hemel Hempstead

Donald Lyven – Green Party Candidate for Finchley & Golders Green

Alex Feakes, Liberal Democrat PPC for Lewisham West & Penge

Kate Tansley, Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Chipping Barnet

Roger Godsiff – Labour PPC for Birmingham, Sparkbrook & Small Heath

Chris Southall – Green Party PPC Clacton on Sea

Hratche Koundarjian – Labour PPC Lewes

Stuart Bodsworth – LibDem PPC for Stockport

Fiona Hornby Liberal Democrat PPC for Devizes

Gina Dowding: Green Party PPC, Lancaster and Fleetwood

Farida Aslam – Plaid Cymru PPC Cardiff South & Penarth

Natalie Bennett, Green Party candidate Holborn and St Pancras

Simon Burgess – Labour & Co-op PPC – Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven

Chris Bramall – Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate, Stourbridge

Tim Farron – Liberal Democrat candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale

Alan Hilliar – PPC Libdems Surrey Heath