Unpaid carers in the UK faced demands to repay over £33m in 2025-26 due to earnings-related overpayments in the carer’s allowance system, despite government pledges to reform the system and prevent such errors.
Hong Kong's anti-corruption watchdog charged three individuals, including two care home operators, for allegedly defrauding an elderly care voucher scheme of HK$1.3 million by inflating service hours.
The Australian Senate has passed legislation to reintroduce human oversight to an aged care algorithm criticized as "cruel" and "inhumane." The integrated assessment tool (IAT) has been found to under-assess elderly individuals, leading to inadequate care, with assessors previously unable to override its decisions.
The Australian Senate has passed legislation to reintroduce human oversight for an aged care algorithm, the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), which has been criticized for under-assessing care needs. The bill, co-sponsored by multiple parties, aims to allow assessors to override the algorithm's decisions, addressing concerns raised by elderly Australians, carers, and human rights advocates.
The Australian Senate has passed legislation to reinstate human oversight for an aged care algorithm, the Integrated Assessment Tool (IAT), which has been criticized for under-assessing care needs. The bill, co-sponsored by the Greens, Coalition, and an independent senator, aims to allow assessors to override the algorithm's decisions. The government has proposed some human review in "extenuating circumstances," but critics argue it doesn't go far enough.
Hong Kong's welfare chief, Chris Sun, announced plans to expand priority community care to include dementia patients and carers over 60 of severely disabled individuals, following a recent tragedy.
Hong Kong's welfare minister defended the government's decision to remove the poverty line as an indicator for aid, stating it's a limited statistical concept focused solely on income. He argued it fails to identify needy groups like carers, whose varied needs will be addressed by a new commission.
Hong Kong's welfare minister defended the government's decision to abandon the poverty line, calling it a limited statistical concept. He stated it failed to identify needy groups beyond low income, such as carers, and announced plans for a new commission on targeted poverty alleviation.
The UK government has announced a ban on social media access for individuals under the age of 16. The government is seeking input from parents and carers regarding their opinions on these restrictions and how children aged 16 and under feel about the ban.
Six months after Australia's under-16 social media ban, supporters claim it protects youth online. Critics note continued teen usage and enforcement difficulties, as other countries consider similar measures.
The UK government is considering new online safety measures for children, drawing inspiration from Australia's six-month-old ban on social media for under-16s. Ministers are seeking public input from parents and carers on potential restrictions.
The NaNaz, a six-piece punk band from South Wales formed by women in their 50s and 60s, are proving to be a real-life inspiration, encouraging other women to form their own bands and embrace their creativity.
Louise Casey, head of the UK's adult social care commission, criticizes the outdated social care system for heavily relying on unpaid carers, mostly women, leading to enormous emotional burdens and unsustainable pressures.
At least three households in Barry, south Wales, identified as having contracted the liver infectionHealth authorities have asked parents and carers to be “vigilant with their children’s hand-washing” after a hepatitis A outbreak in Barry, south Wales.Public Health Wales said at least three households in the seaside town had been identified as having contracted the same liver infection, and there were worries it was spreading locally. Continue reading...
At least three households in Barry identified as having contracted the liver infectionHealth authorities have asked parents and carers to be “vigilant with their children’s hand-washing” after a hepatitis A outbreak in Barry, south Wales.At least three households in the seaside town have been identified as having contracted the same liver infection, amid worries it is spreading locally, Public Health Wales said. Continue reading...
Japan has long grappled with what to do about hikikomori – the social hermits who seal themselves off from the world, sometimes for years, retreating from all human contact. In the past, these recluses were thought of as a youth problem: troubled teenagers, rudderless young men. But that framing no longer holds. Japan’s shut-ins are growing old, and the parents keeping them alive are growing older still. The average hikikomori is now 36.9 years old, according to the Asahi newspaper, citing a...
Tatsumi Hokuto, a 27-year-old former Maritime Self-Defence Force member with a bodybuilder's physique, works as a caregiver at a Japanese care home. The powerfully built young man helps elderly residents to their feet almost effortlessly, combining his passion for strength training with his job. Hokuto says his work allows him to feel his muscles are benefiting people and society.
Disabled blue badge holders in the UK are experiencing increasing harassment, questioning and assault from members of the public as anti-benefits rhetoric becomes more mainstream. About 3 million people now have blue badges, including 1 in 15 adults in England. The Guardian heard from almost 100 disabled people and their families who have been challenged by strangers, with many reporting verbal abuse, being filmed on phones, physically intimidated, or having mobility aids pulled away. Research by MS Society found more than one in five people with multiple sclerosis had been questioned for using a blue badge.
Northern Ireland will become the first part of the UK to provide free sign language classes to all deaf children and their families through the Sign Language Bill (Northern Ireland) 2025. The legislation, being passed on Tuesday, puts a duty on the Department for Communities to provide free classes for deaf people under-25 and their close families, while giving official recognition to British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language as languages of Northern Ireland. The bill is expected to cost around £3m a year and follows years of campaigning by the deaf community.
A Bristol haulage firm calculates the US-Iran war has added £100,000 to its fuel bills, with March £45,000 over budget and April projected £60,000 over. Carers and 1.5m UK homes heating by oil are also hit hard, with heating oil prices doubling from 60p to over £1.20 per litre. The Food and Drink Federation predicts food inflation could reach 9% by December as transport costs rise.
Thousands of unpaid carers will continue to face benefit repayment demands as the government launches an audit to fix historical injustices in carer's allowance, but existing recovery policies remain in place.
