Asked by: Lord Laming (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Carers UK report State of Caring 2023 — The impact of caring on: health, published in November; and what steps they intend to take in response.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
We are grateful to Carers UK for having undertaken the research for this report, and we recognise that caring is not always easy or straightforward. There is a wide variety of caring circumstances, experiences and needs among unpaid carers, and the enormous contribution of unpaid carers is reflected throughout Next Steps to Put People at the Heart of Care, published on GOV.UK in April 2023 in an online-only format.
On 24 October 2023, we announced our £42.6 million Accelerating Reform Fund to support innovation and scaling up in adult social care, and to kick-start a change in services provided to support unpaid carers.
We are also investing at least £2.3 billion extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England by March 2024. This extra funding will enable an extra two million people, including unpaid carers, to be treated by mental health services within the National Health Service by March 2024.
We know that breaks and respite are important for unpaid carers. This year, £327 million from the Better Care Fund has been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services and additional advice and support to carers, together with a small number of additional local authority duties.
Asked by: Damien Moore (Conservative - Southport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report on Understanding the experiences of unpaid carers of people living with Motor Neurone Disease, published by the Motor Neurone Disease Association in November 2022.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made on the policy implications following the publication of the report.
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.
In 2023/24, £327 million of Better Care funding has been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers. This also funds additional advice and support to carers and a small number of additional local authority duties.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any assessment of the impact of fragility fractures caused by undiagnosed osteoporosis on informal care-givers of working age; and what the impact of this is on the labour market.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Unpaid carers play a vital role in our communities, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. We want unpaid carers to live healthy and fulfilling lives alongside their caring role.
No assessment, specifically on the impact of fragility fractures caused by undiagnosed osteoporosis on informal caregivers of working age; and what the impact of this is on the labour market, has been made. However, the Care Act (2014) requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers. Local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.
In 2023/24, £327 million of funding from the Better Care Fund have been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers. This also funds additional advice and support to carers and a small number of additional local authority duties.
The enormous contribution made by unpaid carers is reflected throughout the social care reform white paper People at the Heart of Care, published in December 2021, and Next Steps to put People at the Heart of Care, published in April 2023.
Asked by: Baroness Pitkeathley (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to their People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform white paper, published on 1 December 2021, what progress they have made on their delivery of the £25 million fund in support of unpaid carers.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government is finalising its plans for how we will deliver up to an additional £25 million that we committed to in People at the Heart of Care to support unpaid carers and hopes to share plans shortly.
Asked by: Gavin Williamson (Conservative - South Staffordshire)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that full-time carers have access to support to help (a) prevent burnout and (b) maintain their (i) mental and (ii) physical well-being.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Care Act (2014) requires local authorities to deliver a wide range of sustainable, high-quality care and support services, including support for unpaid carers. Local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.
For 2023/24, the Better Care Fund earmarked £327 million to support local authorities with health and care services, including providing carers with advice, support, short breaks, and respite services.
The NHS Long Term Plan has also committed an additional £2.3 billion this year for the expansion and transformation of mental health services in England by March 2024 so that an additional two million people, including full-time carers, can get the National Health Service-funded mental health support that they need.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support at-home carers of dementia patients in Solihull constituency.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, under the Care Act 2014, all local authorities including Solihull, are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer. This might include access to respite and breaks or financial support.
The Department has published guidance on what to expect from health and adult social care services after a dementia diagnosis, which includes offering an assessment to the carer. The guidance is available to Solihull’s Constituents and is available at the following link:
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to support families in Solihull constituency affected by dementia.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
In England, under the Care Act 2014, all local authorities including Solihull, are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer. This might include access to respite and breaks or financial support.
The Department has published guidance on what to expect from health and adult social care services after a dementia diagnosis, which includes offering an assessment to the carer. The guidance is available to Solihull’s Constituents and is available at the following link:
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what specific provisions or schemes are in place to support carers of those suffering from early onset dementia.
Answered by Lord Markham - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support, and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.
In 2023/24, £327 million of Better Care Fund funding has been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers. This also funds additional advice and support to carers and a small number of additional local authority duties.
The Department has published guidance on what to expect after a dementia diagnosis titled After Diagnosis of Dementia: What to Expect from Health and Care Services, which includes the carer’s entitlement to an assessment and appropriate response.
Asked by: Liz Kendall (Labour - Leicester West)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many hours of respite the funding allocated to unpaid carers in the Next Steps to put People at the Heart of Care report will provide.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
No assessment has been made. In 2023/24, £327 million of Better Care Fund funding has been earmarked to provide short breaks and respite services for carers, as well as additional advice and support.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what (a) practical and (b) financial support the Government plans to provide to unpaid carers in Stockport constituency.
Answered by Helen Whately - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are required to undertake a Carer’s Assessment for any unpaid carer who appears to have a need for support and to meet their eligible needs on request from the carer.
In 2023/24, £327 million has been earmarked in the Better Care Fund to provide short breaks and respite services for carers, as well as additional advice and support. The Government continues to provide financial support to unpaid carers through Carer’s Allowance, the Carer Element in Universal Credit and through other benefits.