Ahead of the Government’s one-year spending review tomorrow, Wednesday 4th September, Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK last week wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid MP, and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock MP, to reiterate key short term spending priorities for unpaid carers.
She called on the Government to use this opportunity to increase support for carers; specifically, by doubling the amount of money available for carers’ breaks through the Better Care Fund, to ensure carers get the much needed respite that they need.
Carers UK also calls on the Government to confirm a short-term injection of funds to bridge the immediate funding gap for social care, and to outline in detail a sustainable and effective plan for how social care will be delivered and funded over the longer-term.
Helen Walker, Chief Executive, said:
“Unpaid carers feel they are being left behind – forgotten – as the enormous support they provide is taken for granted. Government has to take the opportunity presented by this one-year spending review to provide carers and their families with additional recognition and support, especially when it comes to providing breaks that enable them to care effectively and safely, and which enables carers to make their own decisions about how they care.
Government must close the immediate funding gap for delivering adult social care services, to ensure standards and people’s access to services doesn’t continue to decline. Government must also urgently set out a plan for the long term delivery of adult social care that has the needs of unpaid carers at its heart.
Carers have been waiting patiently for years to hear Government’s plans. In that time they have cumulatively delivered over 19,000,000,000 (billion) hours of care, unpaid. The time has come for them to receive the support they deserve, including: increased financial support, access to breaks when needed, recognition and support across our NHS, and benefits which reflect the attention and vital support they provide in their communities.”