Carers get extra £60m, UK

Main Category: Caregivers / Homecare
Article Date: 25 Feb 2005 - 4:00 PDT

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UK Health Minister Stephen Ladyman today encouraged local councils to give carers a break from their duties by announcing an extra £60m for Carers' Grants.

A fund of £185m will be allocated to councils in 2005/6 for the Carers Grant. This will enable them to provide support to England's estimated 5m carers, bringing the total awarded since the Carers' Grant was introduced in 1999 to £635m. The Minister also announced that the Carers Grant will continue at this new higher level until at least 2008.

Speaking at the National Family Carers Network Conference, Stephen Ladyman said:

"The care provided by family, friends and neighbours is invaluable and touches all of us at some time or another. Carers say that being able to take breaks from caring is the most effective way to support them and enable them to continue caring.

"I'm also delighted that the carers Grant will be extended for at least another two years confirming this Government's commitment to sustained support for carers."

"We want to encourage councils to further develop innovative and high quality services that focus on the needs of carers, which is often the most effective way to prevent loss of independence.

"This Government was the first to recognise the needs of carers and publish a carers strategy and we are determined to do even more to help."

Ian Cash, 45, from Lancashire has been caring for his wife Sue, who has MS and uses a wheelchair, for 25 years. Ian and Sue are both studying for the same Open University course but found they both couldn't sit their exams at the same time as this would leave Sue without care.

Ian and Sue were given a Carers Grant by Lancashire Authority and used it to provide a care worker to look after Sue during the exam. Without this support one of them would have had to defer the exam for a year, and they would no longer have been able to do the course together.

Ian Cash said: "The Carers Grant allowed us to get extra care when we needed it. It gave us both the independence to do what we wanted. I'm pleased to say that with the help of this support we both passed our exam and are on the next stage of our course."

Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK said: "We welcome the announcement of an additional £60m to be made available to local authorities through the Carers Grant and the news that the Grant will continue for another two years. The Carers Grant has made a significant contribution to recognising the crucial role carers play and the contribution they make. This money will go some way to ensure that the potential benefits of the recent Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act are realised".

The government is currently consulting on guidance relating to the Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act, which received Royal Assent on 22 July 2004.The Act will ensure that carers are able to take up opportunities which those without caring responsibilities take for granted. As a result of the new Act, existing legislation, namely the Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 and Carers Recognition and Services Act, will also be amended.

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For media enquiries, please contact Orla Delargy in the Department of Health media centre on 020 7210 5315.

Notes:

- The grant guidance, grant determination and allocations are available from the Department of Health website.

- Ian Cash is a trustee of Carers UK and a carers representative on Carers UK's ACE National Project.

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Issued by : DOH Press Office

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