Written question WQ99522
- Asked by
- Claire ArchibaldReform
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Minister for Health and Care
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 10 days
Question
Of the promised £15.75 million for the unpaid carers scheme and short breaks scheme, what proportion is allocated to carers within the Pembrokeshire County Council & Ceredigion County Council areas?
Answer
Answered by Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health (Delyth Jewell)
The £15.75 million commitment to the Carers Support Fund and the Short Breaks Scheme funds the schemes for 2026 to 2029.
The annual investment in the Carers Support Fund is £1.75 million. The fund is delivered on our behalf by Carers Trust Wales. In 2025/26, carers in Pembrokeshire received £53,754 from the fund, equating to 3.1% of the total. Carers in Ceredigion received £43,963 from the fund, equating to 2.5% of the total.
The annual investment in the Short Breaks Scheme is £3.5 million. Funding is distributed to Carers Trust Wales (£2.3 million) and to Regional Partnership Boards (£1.3 million). West Wales Regional Partnership Board receives
£163,084. This allocation follows the agreed model for the distribution of funding across Regional Partnership Boards. The allocation of funding across the constituent local authorities is determined by the Regional Partnership Board.
In 2025/26, carers in Pembrokeshire benefitted from £139,892 of Short Breaks Scheme funding. This comprised of £87,795 via Carers Trust Wales and £52,097 via the Regional Partnership Board. Combined, this represents 4% of the overall budget.
In the same period, carers in Ceredigion benefitted from £61,026 of Short Breaks Scheme funding, comprising £28,465 via Carers Trust Wales and £32,561 via the Regional Partnership Board. This represents 1.7% of the overall budget.
The Carers Support Fund is for carers on low income who need emergency financial assistance. The Short Break Scheme provides breaks from caring responsibility for carers who are least able have these otherwise. While we wish to ensure even geographical coverage of the schemes, delivery is targeted toward those most in need.