Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he has taken to ensure that unpaid carers have access to support services during the period of covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

We have supported unpaid carers funding for a number of charities to support carers, COVID-19 guidance tailored to carers, help for carers to self-identify and ongoing to work to access to personal protective equipment (PPE) and prioritisation for vaccination.

We have supported day services in implementing good infection prevention and control by providing PPE and testing and working with the Social Care Institute for Excellence to provide guidance on the safe operation. We have also enabled some of the money provided to local authorities through the Infection Control Fund to be used to help services reconfigure and continue to offer COVID-19 secure services.

Unpaid carers can continue to provide essential care and are exempt from rules preventing mixing with other households where they are providing care. Under the current lockdown restrictions carers can also arrange for another family member or friend to provide respite care so that they can take a break and/or form caring ‘bubbles’ to share caring responsibilities and provide emotional support. We will continue to work closely with stakeholders, care organisations and the wider sector and will keep support for unpaid carers under review.