Members of the Coalition of Carers Organisations NI are calling on all parties contesting the General Election in Northern Ireland to support:

• The introduction of a Carer’s Allowance Supplement, as first delivered in Scotland in 2018.

• An increase in the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold to the equivalent of 21 hours per week at the National Living Wage (NLW) and tied to all future NLW rises.

• The creation of a fit-for-purpose monitoring system that automatically intervenes when a Carer’s Allowance claimant has earned more than the weekly cap, immediately preventing them from building up overpayment debt.

• A wider, independent review of the value, administration and eligibility criteria of Carer’s Allowance, to ensure the benefit provides unpaid carers with the financial support they need.

• The introduction of an annual Young Carer Payment, matching the value of the Young Carer Grant in Scotland.