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Unpaid carers are being forced out of work – here’s what one Scottish MP wants to do about it

Wendy Chamberlain MP wants to improve carers' rights.
Wendy Chamberlain MP wants to improve carers' rights.

Unpaid carers are having to give up work in the struggle to balance their responsibilities, according to support groups and an MP campaigning to change the law.

Liberal Democrat politician Wendy Chamberlain revealed how some people are forced to give up wages as she pushes to secure a statutory right for an extra five days of unpaid leave for carers.

It follows wide concerns among carers’ networks and a campaign to get businesses on side.

‘They can’t make it work’

Speaking to The Stooshie, the politics podcast from DC Thomson, Ms Chamberlain said: “If an unpaid carer has a regular hospital appointment to take the person they care for to, often they are having to take emergency leave or use annual leave days, which isn’t ideal.

“Or, as we have found, they have given up work altogether because they can’t make it work.”

Ms Chamberlain said her own constituents in North East Fife are losing money in the balancing act.

Wendy Chamberlain in the House of Commons.

The MP has since put forward a private member’s bill in the House of Commons in a bid to introduce the right for unpaid carers to take up to five days of unpaid leave a year from their work.

She said there is “much more” to do in this area, but said it could have a “huge” impact as 2.4 million people could benefit.

The business benefits are absolutely clear.

– Wendy Chamberlain

Ms Chamberlain added: “If businesses give flexibility to their employees to manage their responsibilities outside of work, you get much better productivity from them and you are more likely to retain them in the longer-term.

“The business benefits are absolutely clear.”

Dundee unpaid carers
Unpaid carers are being forced out of paid work.

She said she already has cross-party support for her proposals and has had a “constructive” discussion with the government on it.

The Conservatives had proposed leave for unpaid carers in their party manifesto, but it was not brought up in the latest Queen’s Speech when they set out their plans for government.

Ms Chamberlains’ Carers Leave Bill is due to be debated in the House of Commons on October 21.

You can hear the full interview as part of the latest Stooshie episode here.