It isn’t often I feel patriotic, but this week, I feel proud to be… French! Oui, I said it. I’m half English half French, have dual nationality and have lived in both countries. I often listen to French radio in the early morning as I’m getting grandma and myself ready for the day. I like to know what is going on in the news over there. Last Friday, the 6th October, was National Carers Day in France – la journée nationale des aidants. My ears pricked up and I thought I would look into how French unpaid carers are treated. I warn those of you British unpaid carers reading – this will make you want to scream (more than usual).

Let’s tackle the ‘unpaid’ bit first. The ‘unpaid’ qualifier isn’t in their title- they’re called ‘carers’, as simple as that. I think the ‘unpaid’ part in the UK, implies we’re volunteers and that we do this out of the goodness of our hearts when the reality is that we have no choice. A small but powerful naming difference.

These ‘aidants’ are also paid. They get paid in the form of benefits that are indexed on the national minimum wage: as of the 1st of January 2023, carers are entitled to 62.44 euros per day and 31.22 per half day (depending on how often you provide care). Yes, you read that right *per day*, not the £76 unpaid carers get *per week* in the UK if they are eligible for 35 hours of care per week. As you can imagine, the UK’s Carers Allowance is not indexed on the national minimum wage (which is currently £6.56 per hour) so the Carers Allowance, works out at £1.92 per hour. Sacré bleu!

According to Carers UK, more than 600 people quit work to look after older and disabled relatives every day, losing their pension contributions for every year they are out of work in the process. Is this the case in France? A resounding NON. If the carer is unable to work due to having to provide permanent care, they will still be able to get the French state pension when they retire. If a carer has to give up work to provide care, they can still get their full pension from 65 years of age (two years earlier than the French retirement age of 67- the rise they were burning bins across France about earlier in the year).

Since 2016, carers in France have a dedicated legal status which means they have rights. Specifically:

• The right to take extra holidays for carers that also have jobs.
• The right to respite, French carers can also get financial help of up to 500 euros to pay for the extra care the person they look after will need.
• The right to an income and to claim benefits.
• The right to retirement.
• The right to receive relevant training carers need such as first aid, help with administering motor skills rehabilitation, how to provide intimate care etc.

To recap, French carers have rights, get compensation for their work, are entitled to a state pension and even receive training to do their job. This list is not exhaustive, these are just the things that stood out to me.

Is the French state able to provide this help because they have a smaller number of carers? Again NON. There are about 9.3 million carers in France, you know where I found that stat? In the French government’s strategy for carers, that’s where! Does the UK government have a strategy for UK unpaid carers? NON, non they don’t.

As I researched this topic, I was struck by how important it is for us to look at other countries for solutions to the problems we face. The UK government should, and could, look to see what they can take from the French system to help the millions of unpaid carers suffering in the UK. We could also look to emulate the French’s attitude to social policy and social care. There is a real effort to ensure the respect of basic human rights and dignity – no matter what situation a person might be in. There is also a lot less stigma around claiming benefits when they are needed.

The French look to us for music, comedy, and almost every TV show. We should look to them for guidance on what good social policies look like… and on how to make good bread!