Carers Strategy

Baroness Pitkeathley Excerpts

Thursday 3rd July 2014 Lords Chamber

Asked by

[Baroness Pitkeathley]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to make addressing the financial hardship of carers a priority in the forthcoming update of the Carers Strategy.

[Baroness Jolly (LD)]

My Lords, the updated action plan will focus on the four priority areas of the Government’s 2010 strategy to demonstrate activity against those areas. In reviewing progress and setting out further actions, the plan will consider other emerging cross-cutting policy and practical issues relevant to more than one of the four priorities. This will include issues of financial hardship for carers. These will be referenced throughout the plan to show how they impact on the existing priorities.

[Baroness Pitkeathley (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for that response, and am very glad to hear that financial hardship will be considered. She will know from the recent Carers UK Caring & Family Finances Inquiry that a growing number of carers are finding it really difficult to make ends meet. The commitment was made in the 2008 strategy that carers would always be supported so that they would not suffer financial hardship. That pledge was removed from the 2010 refresh of the strategy. Do I understand the Minister to be saying that it will be reinstated in the current strategy?