Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress he has made to improve support for carers.

The Government is committed to supporting carers to provide care as they would wish, and to do so in a way that supports their own health and wellbeing, employment and wider life chances.

The Care Act 2014 introduced important new rights for carers, for the first time putting them on the same footing as the people for whom they care. Carers now have legal rights to an assessment of, and support for, their needs where eligible.

In addition, since 2010 the rate of Carer’s Allowance has increased from £53.90 to £62.70 a week, meaning an additional £450 a year for carers.

The National Health Service contribution to the Better Care Fund, which helps to join up health and care, includes funding to support the implementation of the Care Act 2014, including £130 million earmarked for the provision of carers’ breaks.

The Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2017-18 set a clear expectation that carers should routinely be identified by services and given access to information and advice about the support available. Local authorities also have a wider duty to offer information and advice to all carers.