The news that some carers are being forced to pay back thousands of pounds in Carers Allowance after small increases in their part-time wages has become a national scandal.

The media and politicians have been talking about the 3 big problems of carers' allowance:

1.  It is a “cliff edge” benefit. This means if you earn a penny over £151 in wages a week, you are not entitled to any Carers Allowance.

2.  The national minimum wage has gone up more than the carers allowance limit and causing the problem.

3.  The DWP has been told by HMRC that carers are earning over the limit, but it only informed less than half of those carers.

The good news is that there seems to be a consensus among politicians and journalists that Carers Allowance will have to be changed with senior members of all parties saying reform needs to happen quickly. 

The Guardian reports that the government has now been urged to write off all of the debts 

You may have noticed that our Bereaved Carers Peer Support Group is no longer running. However, North Tyneside Carers’ Centre is committed to supporting carers during every step of their journey including when their caring role comes to an end.

We have therefore partnered with Grief Circle to offer alternative support for bereaved carers, to ensure they can access free peer support sessions with trained counsellors to help them navigate through loss and bereavement.

We will contact all individuals who we think may benefit from this support directly but please call us at 0191 249 6480 if you wish to hear more about the Grief Circle and the support available. We would be happy to help you with this alongside anything else so do let us know what we can do.

This year's Carers Week theme is, “Putting Carers on the Map” and beginning Monday 10^th June there will be lots of local events to recognise and applaud the important role of carers.

There will be 

• Rock Painting.
• Carers’ Rights Training Session. 
• Professionals' Conference, for people working with Carers.
• Carers’ Grants, Discounts, and Entitlements Information Session.
• Gig night.
• A special St Mary’s Island Tour and Crafts session. 
• A Pamper Day for Dementia Carers in North Shields.
• Beach Combing/Sea-Glass Walk and Talk, then Crafts Session. 

The All Carers Support Group meets monthly in Wallsend Library and gives all kinds of family and friend carers the chance to chat and support each other. 

Next week on Tuesday 14th May, In the last half hour, a representative from Digital Champions will attend to help people who want assistance with using Facebook.  

Ring 01912496480 or email  enquiries@ntcarers.co.uk if this is the first time you will be attending and you can be greeted when you arrive. 

Carer ID on the Cards

Carers often say they wish they had a form of ID to convince people of their caring role. Although Carerscarduk are not an official form of ID many carers find the ID they provide to be useful. The cards cost £8 and show your photo, name and numbers to contact in the event of an emergency. It also has a QR code that can be used to see your Carer Emergency Plan. 

Have a look at their website and see if it might work for you:

Caring is about relationships and communication, and that's true, whether it is with the person you care for or with the workers you need to talk to.

The Interpersonal and Emotional Effectiveness Session is a positive, fun, and easy to learn way to improve your mental health and life.

Ring 0191 2496480 or email training@ntcarers.co.uk to book your free place. 

Wednesday 15th May, 1.00 pm to 3.30 pm, John Willie Sams Centre, Market Street, Dudley, Cramlington, NE23 7HS. 

Do you want to be part of history by sharing your memories and experiences of our brilliant borough?

My North Tyneside is a Lottery Heritage-funded project collecting intergenerational stories about our area. They will be displayed in late 2024 and archived, on record forever. Let’s share our borough with the world! 

You can send your stories about North Tyneside straight to them at info@writeonthetyne.com  and you can attend one of their in person story telling events such as at the Bradbury Centre on Thursday 13th June. For more information go to:  www.writeonethetyne.com

Is there a young carer in your family or are you a young adult carer aged 25 or younger? Then Healthwatch North Tyneside really want to hear from you.

They want to know the experiences of young carers in the last 2 years to help improve support and local services.  There is also a chance of winning £100 of vouchers. 

The results will be shared with key decision-makers in North Tyneside. All views and feedback will be stored safely and will be shared anonymously.

The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.

Fourteen carers experienced Minsteracres Retreat Centre at the end of March. Those who attended had the opportunity to chill and try out some crafts including some decoupage onto terracotta plant pots which were then planted with flowers. Watch out for future trips.