Carer’s Leave Act – Two Years On

Yesterday, I led a debate on the Carer’s Leave Act marking almost two years since passing the Act through as a Private Member’s Bill in the last Parliament. The Act gives carers the right to 5 days of unpaid leave to help manage their caring responsibilities and their employment.

Speaking during the debate, I said:

“It is now just shy of two years since my private members bill, the Carers Leave Act, received royal assent, and a little over a year since the necessary regulations passed to enact the legislation. 

“But the job isn’t done just because the law is passed. Employment rights are only useful if they’re known about, enforceable, and solving their intended policy issue.

“According to the latest census data from all four nations, there are at least 5.8 million people providing unpaid care for an ill, older or disabled family member or friend. Of these, 2.8 million were recorded as balancing that caring with working.  

“The value of this to our economy is £162 billion per year. That is to say that our “careforce” is massive and needs valuing and supporting alongside every other industry.  

“But we also know that statistically being an unpaid carer makes you worse off."

Commenting on the Government’s role, I said:

“My big worry in the first few months after the regulations passed, was that the Government was not doing enough to tell businesses about the new rights and what was required of them.  

“I would venture to say, that the Government risks abandoning its own responsibilities to working carers by not taking an interest in promoting the leave now.  

“What are they doing to make sure that businesses, big and small, know about the rights of their employers and are supported in implementing them? How is this getting out to business owners, and busy managers, who aren’t taking their time to look up a right they might not even know exists?”

Following the responses during the debate, I’m really pleased to hear that the Shadow Minister for Business and Trade is supportive of paid carer’s leave, and I feel encouraged by the Minister for Employment Rights’ confirmation that there is now a cross ministerial working group on unpaid carers. I hope that this means we are a step closer to an unpaid carers strategy and towards paid carers leave.