Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to implement the fresh approach to supporting unpaid carers recommended by the Darzi Review.

The Government is committed to ensuring that families have the support that they need. We want to ensure that people who care for family and friends are better able to look after their own health and wellbeing.

We have already taken action to support unpaid carers. From April 2025 we will increase the Carer's Allowance weekly earnings limit from £151 a week to £196, the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage. This means carers can earn up to £10,000 a year whilst still retaining Carer's Allowance, which is approximately an additional £2,000 a year.

Lord Darzi’s independent review of the National Health Service is clear that a fresh approach to supporting and involving unpaid carers is required to improve outcomes for carers, people needing care, and the NHS.

We are carefully considering these findings as part of our 10-year plan for reforming and modernising the NHS, and as we develop plans to reform adult social care, including through the National Care Service.

All unpaid carers can have their say on the future of the NHS to ensure their voice is heard by sharing their views at the following link:

https://change.nhs.uk/en-GB/projects/start-here