05/06/2022
FOR AUSTRALIANS ONLY!
Did you know, there are some seriously misinformed and confused people who vehemently believe between a carer and the person being cared for there is a wad of cash called a carer’s pension received by a carer in addition to any government primary pension or benefit, e.g. the DSP, or Aged Pension. THIS IS A MYTH!
Australia's carers need to be properly recognised and cared for.
If you haven'nt already, please SIGN and SHARE this PETITION: https://www.change.org/CarersAustraliaPetition
Contrary to what some might surmise, carers do not receive a secondary $987.60 pension each fortnight to look after an aged, infirm, disabled, or incapacitated person 24/7/365.
There is no third income shared between two people; albeit some may qualify for the $136.50 fortnightly carer's allowance.
So let’s set the record straight!
The fact of the matter is carer’s pension no longer exists; it was renamed carer’s payment in July 1997 and is, by definition, a fortnightly income support payment for people who are unable to support themselves through substantial paid employment due to the demands of their caring role.
Carer’s allowance came into being on 1 July 1999; it replaced and combined child disability allowance (CDA) and the domiciliary nursing care benefit (DNCB) and was paid at the rate of $75.60 per fortnight.
In the twenty-three years to 2022 the average increase to carer’s allowance has been $2.65, or 2.61% per year irrespective of increases to workloads, inflation, the cost of living, support services, and to the carer’s payment.
By definition carer’s allowance is a fortnightly payment that recognises the care provided to a person with disability or medical condition in a private home.
Carer’s allowance is paid at the rate of $136.50 a fortnight, $68.25 a week, $9.75 a day, or just 41 cents an hour.
Over the decades no government has faced the reality of the sacrifices and price we pay as carers head on, but they’re happy to have us quietly working away in the background for next to nothing, saving them billions of dollars in unpaid care whilst we suffer physically, mentally and financially.
Those receiving Carer's Allowance receive only 8.83% of the National Minimum Wage for working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year.
Carers not only forfeit potential lifetime earnings, but miss out on thousands of dollars in superannuation retirement savings.
Carers get no holiday leave entitlements or benefits.
Carers often dip into, and deplete their own financial reserves in supporting the person(s) they care for.
When their caring role is at an end, carers under retirement age, or ineligible for a primary income support benefit from Centrelink will often find themselves literally punished and thrown on the JobSeeker scrap-heap; a harsh reality for many older Australians!
It is estimated those caring for family members actually save the government – the Australian taxpayer, the community, you – more than $77.9 billion a year providing informal/primary care across Australia.
The carer’s allowance of $3549 per year is reprehensible to say the least as it is not even enough to cover the basic costs of keeping a vehicle on the road.
Please sign and share this petition to friends, family and your local media, as you never know when you might find yourself as a carer or in desperate need of one.
Carers don't just play an integral part in Australia's aged care and health systems, they underpin them!
