Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish a Recovery and Respite Plan for Unpaid Carers.

There are no plans to publish a specific recovery and respite plan for unpaid carers in England. ‘People at the Heart of Care’ published on 1 December 2021, aims to empower unpaid carers to live happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. This includes an investment of up to £25 million to improve the services provided to support unpaid carers. In addition, funding provided through the Better Care Fund (BCF) can be allocated to carers’ breaks and respite. The BCF Framework for 2022/23 will be published shortly and will request that all local BCF partnerships state how funding is being used to support unpaid carers.

On 13 May 2022, we wrote to local authorities to reiterate the importance of respite support for carers and to understand any challenges which may prevent these services returning to full capacity. Unpaid carers in low-income households will also benefit from the Means-Tested Benefit Cost of Living Payment. Those living in the same household as the disabled person for whom they care will benefit from the disability Cost of Living Payment, while families with a pensioner in the household will benefit from the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.