Motion on Carers to be debated at the South Central Liberal Democrats Regional Conference on the 5th November 2011 at Eastleigh

A. 'Conference calls on the government to take positive action to support carers in the following ways;

1. Raising the earnings ceiling for carers from the current £100 per week to at least £200.

2. Raising the weekly rate of carers allowance by at least 5% from 1st April 2012.

3. Ensuring employers provide the necessary support to working carers so they can stay in work and care.

4. Ensuring that any monies provided for carers respite is actually spent to help carers have a break.

5. Providing all carers with local bus travel along similar lines to the current scheme for the elderly.

6. Removing punitive DWP rules that lead to a financial losses for carers and the cared for.

Conference recognises that there are party members amongst those 6 million carers whose role places real barriers to them taking any active part in our democratic structures. Conference therefore agrees to

ask South Central Policy Committee to investigate how to overcome these barriers and to publish recommendations to all party organisations in the Region to be presented to the Spring Regional Conference for ratification.

B. Conference recognises that their are party members amongst those 6 million carers whose role places real barriers to them
taking any active part in our democratic structures. Conference therefore agrees to investigate how to overcome these barriers
and to publish recommendations to all party organisations in the Region to be presented to the Spring Regional Conference
for ratification.