Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps he has taken to ensure adequate (a) financial support and (b) respite opportunities are available to carers.

The Government provides financial support to eligible unpaid carers through the Carer’s Allowance, the carer element in Universal Credit and other benefits. Carers in low-income households may benefit from the Means-Tested Benefit Cost of Living Payment and disabled carers may benefit from the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment. Unpaid carers may also benefit from the £400 rebate through the Energy Bills Support Scheme to Domestic energy users, and those who pay Council Tax in England have received a £150 rebate. In England, the Government is providing assistance through the £421 million Household Support Fund, which will be extended from October 2022 to March 2023.

On 13 May 2022 we wrote to local authorities to reiterate the importance of respite support for unpaid carers and that funding for respite and short breaks for carers is included in the National Health Service contribution to the Better Care Fund (BCF). In 2021/22, £285.7 million was allocated through the BCF to provide short breaks and respite services for carers and additional advice and support.