Carers report urges sweeping changes

The House of Representatives Family Committee has released  its report ‘Who Cares …?’

The committee has recommended increasing the base rate of income support for carers and has called for means testing thresholds to be reviewed.

More than 1300 submissions to the inquiry told of carers and their families under serious financial stress, struggling to meet the everyday costs of living, including food, housing and transport.

The committee has recommended an urgent increase in respite and in-home assistance for carers, with current demand far exceeding supply.

Better coordination of support services is also needed, with the committee recommending a one-stop-shop for information on community care services, as well as support systems that are nationally consistent and more streamlined.

The committee supports more options for carers who want to manage the purchase of services themselves, including self-managed individualised funding packages. It has also recommended:

• a national education campaign to increase community awareness of the needs of carers;
• national carer recognition legislation and a national carer action plan;
• a national strategy to address the skills and training needs of carers; 
• increased access to case management services for carers;
• strengthening options for flexible working arrangements for carers;
• supporting carers to find suitable employment after a period of absence;
• extension of preventative health care initiatives to include carers; and
• more counselling services for carers and their families.

The chief executive officer of Carers Australia, Joan Hughes, said developing national carer legislation as recommended is a crucial step in ensuring coordinated support for carers nation wide. The best place is an Office for Carers in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.

“Carers Australia is pleased that the Committee saw the urgent need to address carer support. The Committee’s understanding of the vital contribution carers play in our society enabled their comprehensive response,” said Ms Hughes.

“A number of the key recommendations included in the report will, if implemented, make a very positive impact on the lives of carers”.

Copies of the report are available from the Australian Parliament website.