Who will care?

Australia urgently needs a policy framework that is able to maximise the supply of people to provide informal caring while minimising the costs to society. This broad aim will not be achieved without developing a coherent systemic approach that understands the ways in which different policies interact when applied to the realities of caring.

If Australia is serious about providing choice for carers, we need to tackle three key areas of reform. All are inter-related. None can be dealt with in isolation.

We need to legislate to make paid work more compatible with caring, including the right to request flexible work. Nearly 2 million carers are of workforce age, but many have had to leave the workforce, reduce the hours they work, or work below their skill capacity because of their caring responsibility. The productivity loss of this care is approximately $4.9 billion.

Workplace policies and practices must change to support the combination of caring and paid employment, and to support shared care arrangements. They are needed to prevent Australia lagging behind in the Industrial Relations arena. An increase in the workforce participation of people who provide care, and of older people will generate increased tax revenue. While governments will be supporting a greater number of people to provide care, more of these people will be participating in paid work.

We need changes to the income support and tax system, including government funded superannuation for those who provide long term care. For high intensity, long term carers who are at risk of workforce exclusion for long periods, government sponsored superannuation provision will ensure they have access to better financial well being and social inclusion at retirement age. Careful modeling of superannuation arrangements may also encourage the limited workforce participation of this group in paid work.

We need to provide support services that are affordable, flexible and of good quality. With the right supports from governments and communities, reform can help individuals needing care to live with independence, meaning and dignity. Sharing the care across families and communities results in greater social inclusion, the potential for reduced dependency on one family member, and reduced household stress. There will be less financial hardship, fewer health impacts and reduced disadvantage for those who provide care.

Australia has a fine tradition of the “fair go”. We pride ourselves on values of mateship, loyalty and cheering on the underdog. But if we are to extend those traditions and values to the two and half million carers presently waiting for changes to improve their lives and the lives of those for whom they care, government and the community must act comprehensively to address the inequities that presently exist.

Otherwise it will be a continued winter of discontent rather than a long summer for the generations to come.