Benefits

Objective: Informal caregivers are crucial to maintaining older adults' health, but few studies examine how caregiving receipt is associated with older person longevity.

Background: Present demographic trends show a considerable rise in elderly populations with aging disorders, such as dementia.

Objective: We investigated a) the number of reported benefits in an informal caregiving situation and b) the factors that predict the caregiver's (CG's) experience of benefits. Method: In this cross-sectional study, we computed univariate analyses and a multiple regression analysis using a benefit score as the dependent variable. Participants were 734 informal CGs who provide care for a person with chronic care needs in Germany.

Based on the findings from research, this report makes recommendations provide better support for carers. The 12 policy recommendations cover five key themes of financial assistance, employment, identification and support, support networks and technology. Together, the policies together form a covenant for carers. The research looked at who informal carers are and the amount of care they provide, explored the experience of informal carers through two focus groups, and looked at the support available for carers internationally.

Discusses the low levels of carers claiming carers allowances and highlights ways of encouraging take up of the allowances.

Findings – Details specific policies in areas such as work‐life balance, caring for carers, diversity, employee development, employee health, employees with school‐age children, employee engagement and community involvement. 

This article comments on the current campaign by carers’ organizations for the title of carer to be used exclusively in connection with unpaid caring. This campaign is analysed in the context of recent developments in policies on unpaid caring and broader debates concerning recognition campaigns, identity and solidarity with others. It is argued that success for carers in terms of securing better benefits and services has been partial and limited and that there are problems in linking demands for recognition with demands for improved material conditions.

In the second of two articles, Barbara Pointon analyses the chaos of funding and benefits that rarely seem to help the people they are intended for, and asks again, ‘Whose service is it?’

Examines whether carers could be successfully brought to the scope of tax credit schemes. The article explains how tax credits work, and looks at the advantages and disadvantages of providing tax credits for carers.

Governments of advanced European welfare states with ageing populations are struggling to reconcile what seem to be conflicting policies. On the one hand, they are trying to increase the labour market participation of women and older workers. On the other hand, they are making more demands on people to care for disabled, chronically ill and frail older relatives and friends. Those caregivers are more likely to be women and older people.