Opposition day: Carer's allowance

Parliament voted on 16 October 2024 on an opposition day motion (a debate and vote called by the opposition, not the government) on carer's allowance, the benefit paid to unpaid carers. The motion was defeated by 335 votes to 87. No Conservative MPs appear in the voting record, which is notable given the analysis suggests the motion was brought by an opposition party; the Conservatives had no votes recorded on either side. The vote concerned government policy on carer's allowance, including issues around overpayment debt, the benefit's rate, and the earnings threshold that limits how much carers can earn before losing entitlement. Carer's allowance is paid to roughly 1.3 million unpaid carers in the UK. The motion called on the government to take action to address problems with the benefit; its defeat means the government's existing approach remains in place without the parliamentary pressure a successful motion would have created. Labour and its Co-operative partners voted unanimously against the motion, providing the 335 noes that defeated it. The 87 ayes came almost entirely from opposition and smaller parties: the Liberal Democrats supplied 69 of those votes, with further support from Plaid Cymru, the Greens, the SNP, the DUP, Reform UK, and the Ulster Unionist Party. Three independents voted on each side. The Conservative Party, despite being the largest opposition party, had no votes recorded at all.