Mark is calling for a fair deal for Edinburgh North and Leith’s working carers.

He is supporting Early Day Motion 246 which highlights the vital contribution by the UK’s 6 million carers and calls on the Government to help the 3 million carers who have to juggle their caring commitments with full or part-time work.

The Motion calls for changes in the benefit system to increase the amount working carers can earn before losing entitlement to Carer's Allowance.

Mark said:

“The least that people who make sacrifices for others can expect is the right to work themselves and have a life outside their caring responsibilities.

“It is simply not fair that as soon as a carer earns a penny over £97 a week, they automatically lose all their entitlement to Carer's Allowance.

“Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats promised to support carers in their election manifestos and I want them to make good on their promises.

“No carer should face financial hardship as a result of their caring role.”

At present, carers who look after someone for more than 35 hours a week are entitled to a Carer’s Allowance of £53.90 a week, but if they earn more than £97 a week they lose their entitlement which reduces the financial incentive for people to work.

Mark worked with Carers Scotland last year to raise the issue of the level of Carer’s Allowance in Parliament, recognising the fact that many of those who combine caring responsibilities with work still remain in severe financial hardship. You can read the question he asked here.

The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) is pressing for Carer's Allowance to be increased to £65.45 a week, the same rate as Job Seekers Allowance, and for the £97 earnings limit to be increased to £150 a week.

It also wants the limit to be tapered so that carers benefit financially from working and have the incentive to progress in their jobs. To read more about the campaign here.

A Carers UK 2008 report ‘Carers in Crisis’, showed that 74% of carers struggled to pay essential bills and 52% were cutting back on food to help make ends meet.  54% were in debt as a result of caring, and 32% with a mortgage or rent said they could not afford to pay it. The effect of the financial crisis is likely to have only made that situation worse.

People in work should not be forced to live in poverty and doubly so when they are carers.