I thank the Chair for selecting this matter and the Minister of State for coming into the House to reply to it. I welcome this opportunity to raise this matter. The question of home help might not seem very important to many people as they go about their daily business, but there are those in our urban and rural communities who depend and rely heavily on the small input and short visit of a home help on a regular basis.
Home helps are usually women who may be long-term unemployed and because of their circumstances they may be unable to qualify for a permanent allowance or work and decide to devote a few hours a week to support and care at a high level for their neighbours, friends and relations who are usually frail, old and have a significant disability. Home helps care for people in their homes. It is important to realise the valuable work done by home helps in caring for others in their home surroundings.
That small intervention, while most important to the recipient, is inadequate. The average rate of pay or allowance, if it could be called either of those terms, of £2 per hour for part-time work is a disgrace. We hear much criticism of abuse in the areas of child labour and part-time workers. However, the rates paid to young people and part-time workers who work in the evenings or at weekends in supermarkets, pubs and petrol stations are reasonable compared to what is on offer to home helps.
This group of workers can do little to improve their pay or conditions. They will not withdraw their service from dependent older people because their social consciousness, commitment and the recognition of the great need to help old people will not allow them to do so. They have no rights within the workforce. I see it as an abuse of a committed group of volunteers.
Has the Minister or the Department ever realised the cost savings as a result of maintaining old people at home rather than in a nursing home where the average rate demanded to maintain them is from £200 to £300 per week? Living in their own homes in familiar social surroundings is best for aged people.
The Minister of State should urgently review the rates of pay and allowances for this important group of workers. He should recognise and acknowledge their important contribution in maintaining a vulnerable and dependent section of our society within its own community and surroundings. I ask him to provide funding to health boards to enable payment at a rate of at least £4 per hour so they can continue their work and be recognised as workers. Their work combines that of a nurse, social worker and housewife in helping elderly people. I do not know why it is only in the last 12 months that the rate has been increased from £1 to £2 per hour. All too often health boards will say, when they are only a short time into their budgetary year, that the funds for this service have been allocated.
As budget time approaches, we should recognise the important work that home helps have provided down the years. We should recognise them and substantially raise their allowances so they can continue without interruption the magnificent work they have been doing. It could even be extended so that greater demands on State resources could be diverted from institutions to allow people have comfort in their own homes.
