Contributions to calls for evidence
Since our last update, we have submitted evidence to a number of wide-ranging inquiries and consultations relevant to care:
- Researchers at the Centre for Care and its Associates contributed to a Department for Work and Pensions Consultation for the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper. Their response highlighted a number of concerns on proposed restrictions to disability benefits that would impact the financial livelihood of carers. For example, for Carer’s to be eligible for vital financial support through Carers Allowance, the individual they care for must be entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This means that restrictions to PIP in the interest of ‘encouraging’ disabled people into employment, could push more disabled people and unpaid carers into poverty, with a double penalty for unpaid carers who are themselves disabled.
- The Centre for Care worked with Dr Maria Teresea Ferazzoli from the IMPACT Networks team and Dr Maria Cheshire Allen from Swansea University, to provide evidence on the barriers faced by unpaid carers in Wales for the Senedd Health and Social Care Committee inquiry into the experiences of unpaid carers in Wales. The response included insights from unpaid carers through the Carers, transitions and co-production Local Network led by Swansea University. Notably, unpaid carers in Wales often feel invisible in a system that does not recognise, acknowledge or support them sufficiently across life transitions.
The Sennedd is now consulting on the draft National Strategy for Unpaid Carers in Wales. The Centre for Care is working with IMPACT colleagues in Wales to provide a response.
- The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Young Carers and Young Adult Carers held an inquiry into the barriers faced by young adult carers. The Centre for Care impact team provided research from the Centre on the income penalty faced by young carers through reduced career opportunities as a result of their caring responsibilities. They also provided recommendations for change. This included the ‘don’t know’ option, co-produced by Centre for Care researcher Chloe Alexander with the Carers Trust and young adult carers. This option advises that young people should be able to say they ‘don’t know’ whether they are carers or not when responding to various forms in schools and public services, when questions ask whether or not they are carers. This could trigger an offer of support, including signposting to appropriate organisations, to determine their caring status.
- Kate Hamblin and Grace Whitfield responded to a POSTnote call for research on the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on UK employment. They highlighted concerns around the introduction of AI technologies in the social care sector, critiquing the notion that AI intrinsically increases efficiency in the provision of care and reduces workforce pressures.
- At the start of this year, The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee sought views from the public on the experiences of unpaid carers in London. Centre for Care researchers Maria Petrillo and Kate Hamblin created a bespoke report, using the Unpaid Care Dashboard (developed by Centre for Care researchers), which utilises Census data on unpaid care, to showcase the characteristics of unpaid carers in London.
Subsequently, the Centre for Care impact team attended a Carer’s Trust event in London, gathering insights from different London boroughs on the localised initiatives used to help improve the experiences of unpaid carers.
- Centre for Care researchers Grace Whitfield, Erika Kispeter, Duncan Fisher and Liam Foster responded to a consultation from the Department of Business and Trade seeking views on the introduction of an Adult Social Care Negotiating Body and the proposed process for fair pay negotiations in adult social care. Their response highlighted concerns about the potential exclusion of ‘gig’ economy social care workers. A substantial proportion of the social care workforce are in precarious employment (zero hours contracts etc), are not unionised and would therefore risk not having their interests represented by the unions named in this consultation.
- Maria Petrillo, Kate Hamblin and Nathan Hughes provided a Centre for Care research response to the Census 2031 Topic Consultation. In preparation for the next Census, the Department of Health and Social Care sought feedback on the use of the current Census topics, the impact of changing the format/content of the Census topics and views on proposed new topics for the next Census. The Centre for Care researchers responded to questions relating to the topic of unpaid care in the Census. They highlighted that the Census provides valuable data on the characteristics and demographics of unpaid carers in England and Wales, which directly feeds into the Unpaid Care Dashboard and numerous other research outputs.
About the Author
Lucy has a particular interest in fostering collaborative relationships between academics and policy professionals in central government. For four years, Lucy worked as a policymaker in the civil service, focussing primarily on Disability Benefit reform and Supported Housing policy. Lucy’s experience in the civil service was a motivator to deepen their academic knowledge of health disparities, leading to their study at King’s College London looking at Global Health and Social Medicine.
