Carers should be entitled to a benefits boost to match the Universal Credit bonus, a charity has said.
The government has been asked to give a £20-per-week supplement to people claiming Carer’s Allowance, to equal the coronavirus uplift afforded to UC claimants during the pandemic.
As uncertainty remains about whether or not the UC bonus will be extended beyond March, Carers UK wants the Chancellor to recognise the financial struggle also facing carers.
Research by the charity found thousands of working-age carers have been forced to cut their hours or quit their jobs completely, Birmingham Live reports, while support services such as day centres are shut due to COVID-19.
According to the government, there were 1.3m people claiming Carer's Allowance as of last February.
Carers UK reports: "Currently, over 480,000 carers with an entitlement to Carer’s Allowance have each lost out on close to £1,000 of support since April 2020, compared to those on Universal Credit."
People providing care for 35 hours or week or more to an elderly, disabled or seriously ill relative are currently entitled to a weekly allowance of £67.25.
Carers UK delivered a letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Wednesday, signed by more than 5,000 carers, calling for the allowance to be increased by £20 per week to match the increase to Universal Credit.
The £1,040 a year UC boost, which is equivalent to £80 a month or £20 a week, was granted to claimants last year in response to the pandemic.
Carers UK said a £20 boost for carers would meet the higher costs of caring during winter and the lack of services that would otherwise help them stay in work.
At the moment, the allowance is due to increase by 35p to £67.60 on April 12 - just one penny extra for each hour of care provided - in line with inflation.
'Many carers facing hardship'
Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, described the planned 35p increase as "paltry".
She said: "Unpaid carers are taking on more care than ever and have been struggling with the increased costs, yet they have received little targeted financial support to help them.
"They have been essential in protecting our health and social care systems during the pandemic - to the detriment of their own health.
"Without a significant uplift to Carer's Allowance, many carers will continue to face hardship and suffering as they remain caring around the clock."
A Carers UK survey of 5,583 carers conducted in October last year found that 81 per cent have been providing more care hours since March.
Previous research by the charity and the Universities of Sheffield and Birmingham found more than 100,000 carers had to use food banks during the first lockdown.
Others reported that they were having to struggle on alone in the third lockdown, with the Covid-19 restrictions meaning they have little formal support or help from family and friends.
A Government spokesman said: "We recognise and appreciate the valuable role unpaid carers play in looking after loved ones, now more than ever.
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"Since 2010 the rate of Carer's Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £67.25 a week, putting around an additional £700 a year in our carers pockets.
"For those who need extra support, we offer additional premiums worth up to almost £2,000 every year."
The increases Carers UK is campaigning for would impact carers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In Scotland, unpaid carers in receipt of the Carer's Allowance are entitled to a supplement of around £230 in the first and second half of the 2020/2021 financial year - a boost of just over £460 for the year.
Last year, carers in Scotland also received an extra coronavirus payment of £690.30.
