Written question WQ86522
- Asked by
- Janet Finch-SaundersConservative
- To be answered by
- Minister for Health and Social Services
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 8 days
Question
What steps is the Minister taking to ensure that the Welsh Government is supporting all unpaid carers, not only those who are in receipt of carer’s allowance, as the Deputy Minister for Social Services committed to do in March 2022 at the launch of the £500 unpaid carer's payment?
Answer
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Services
We provide a wide range of support for unpaid carers, including:
• Since January 2022, £42m has been allocated to support unpaid carers. This is in addition to the annual funding settlement for local authorities via the Revenue Support Grant to support their work in meeting their statutory duties and delivery of services for unpaid carers.
• We are investing £9m over three years from 2022 to establish an innovative short breaks scheme for unpaid carers who are struggling to cope with their caring responsibilities. The short break opportunities will be available to carers of all ages, including young carers. Access is not linked to claiming Carers Allowance.
• Our successful Carers Support Fund provides grants of up to £300 for the next three years, helping unpaid carers who are experiencing financial hardship.
• The £4.4m Sustainable Social Services Third Sector Grant scheme (2020-25) supports projects for unpaid carers and is led by Carers Wales, Carers Trust Wales, the All Wales Forum and Age Cymru.
• We are improving our engagement work with carers by investing £75,000 this year (2022-23) to fund a series of events and meetings run by Carers Trust Wales
• We are investing £1m in 2022-23, via the seven Regional Partnership Boards to support work which benefits unpaid carers accessing health services. The funding is focused on projects and activity supporting unpaid carers when the person they care for is discharged from hospital.
• At least 5% of the Health and Social Care Regional Integration Fund, which commenced in April 2022, will be spent on activity providing support for unpaid carers.
• £186,000 has been invested in the national Young Carer ID card scheme for young carers aged up to 18. The card has been rolled out across all 22 local authorities and the numbers of young carers taking up the card is increasing steadily as well as supporting awareness activity and engagement with schools and colleges.
• In August, the first young carers festival was held in Builth Wells, with funding from the Welsh Government. The highly successful three-day event managed by Credu, the Powys carers service, was attended by more than 300 young carers as well as young adult carers and project workers.