Nicky and Ryan's Ramble's: Supporting Carers: The Case for a Minimum Income Guarantee

Join Nicky and Ryan as they ramble their way through the implications of the proposed MIG for Scottish carers. 

New research released today explores how a Minimum Income Guarantee could be piloted for unpaid carers in Scotland. 

The research report, by Carers Scotland and IPPR Scotland, explores the positive impact for unpaid carers such an income guarantee could deliver, and outlines a viable model of how it could be implemented. 

A Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) is an assurance that no one will fall below a set income level that would allow them to live a dignified life. 

A MIG can be delivered through employment, targeted payments and also through other types of support or services to be provided or subsidised by the state. 

Unpaid carers save Scotland £15.9 billion each year1 by providing care and support to family members, friends and neighbours who could not get by without their help. 

However, their caring role can have a great personal cost, including reduced financial security, poorer health and damaged earning and career prospects. Unpaid carers in Scotland 56% are more likely to be in poverty and 60% more likely to be in deep poverty2 than those without caring responsibilities. 

The Minimum Income Guarantee pilot proposed by this research aims to recognise the diverse challenges that unpaid carers on low incomes face and respond by delivering tailored support in the form of both services, non-cash benefits and additional payments, to bring these unpaid carers up to the minimum income standard. 

Special thanks to Fiona Collie for her voice note.

Below are the websites mentioned in the podcast

https://www.carersuk.org/scotland

https://www.ippr.org/scotland

https://www.therobertsontrust.org.uk/

https://www.carersuk.org/policy-and-research/state-of-caring-survey/