Advocacy

Family caregivers in Minnesota now have more support. The CARE Act.

There are nearly 600,000 family caregivers in Minnesota who are taking care of an adult relative, spouse or friend. There are even more who are caring for children or grandchildren and most of these unsung heroes are doing so while working, raising families and trying to save for their kids college or their own retirement. And most are doing so without basic workplace protections. In fact, only 13 percent of Minnesota workers have paid family and medical leave through their employers. AARP Minnesota believes it’s time for a common-sense solution that allows Minnesotans to work and care for their families.

By: Kate Makowski

Right now, the Minnesota Public Utility Commission (PUC) is considering a request from Xcel Energy that could raise customer rates by nearly 10% or about $132 a year. If approved, Xcel will have raised rates on their Minnesota customers 6 years in a row. When utility bills go up it hits everyone's pocket book, especially those on fixed incomes or struggling to make ends meet.

Illness can cause an insurmountable amount of debt for couples -- especially when it requires long term care. These families facing debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's can't afford afford to pay for expensive long term care out of pocket but they also can't afford Medical Assistance. To qualify for Medical Assistance, couples are often forced to deplete their assets in order to qualify which means in order to care for one spouse both must enter poverty. For too many the only way to avoid this is divorce. Families should not have to go to such extremes to keep their loved ones safe and protected.

Time is about to run out on caregivers. The CARE Act, a bipartisan bill to support the more than 600,000 unpaid family caregivers in Minnesota, is in jeopardy. Despite passing the Senate with overwhelming support from both parties it has not been taken up in the House and the clock is ticking. With less than a month remaining, there is a real chance that this critically important bill won’t become law.

SAINT PAUL—AARP Minnesota has announced the appointment of Kate Schaefers as its new State President-- the highest state-level volunteer position within the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has nearly 660,000 members statewide. Schaefers, a licensed psychologist and consultant, will begin the two-year role immediately.

With the start of the 2016 Legislative Session, AARP has released its legislative priorities for the year. Top priorities include support for family caregivers through the passage of the CARE Act, measures to address retirement insecurity by reducing the burden of the Social Security tax and possibly passing new models for retirement savings. AARP is opposed to legislation that deregulates telecommunications services.

Social Security has long been a vital tool for promoting the well-being of those who can no longer work. It serves as a major source of income for half of the U.S. population aged 65 and older, enabling them to

By Bev Bachel