Tax on caring as free Covid-19 tests end

The i reports:

People who receive a carer’s allowance to help look after their vulnerable family members could need to spend a fifth of the benefit on lateral flow tests, new analysis suggests.

Free universal Covid testing will end in April, and Boots have announced their plan to charge £5.99 for a single test.

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats, based on official figures, shows that taking twice-weekly tests would cost a carer £622.96 a year, nearly 20 per cent of their annual carer’s allowance of £3,250.

Ed Davey says:

It is simply unjust and unfair to force people to pay hundreds of pounds to year to safely visit their loved ones. It will make vulnerable people more alienated, more lonely, and act as a barrier for family and friends getting together. We must stop this tax on caring.

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