We want to persuade the Government to introduce a single, tax-exempt care voucher to enable employers to help staff who have caring responsibilities for elderly and disabled dependants, as well those who have children.
Research by YouGov for HR finds that a third of employees who are not currently caring for an elderly relative expect to do so in the next 20 years. With one in 10 of these expecting to give up work permanently or temporarily if they have to care, the worrying impact would be a 3% loss to the future workforce.
A single care voucher would work like the existing childcare voucher scheme, where employers provide vouchers as a benefit, and eligible working parents with children under 16 do not have to pay tax or national insurance contributions on the first £55 per week, or £243 per month.