Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Unpaid Carers

Tuesday 23 November 2021 · 6 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 4 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Paul Blomfield asked about steps to help unpaid carers access support, including the role of integrated care boards and schools in identifying young carers.
  • Caroline Dinenage inquired about plans to publish a progress report on the Government's focus on supporting unpaid carers.
  • Theresa Villiers questioned the action taken to support charities and community groups aiding unpaid carers, noting financial support provided during the pandemic.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Paul Blomfield Lab
Care & Healthcare Workers
Context

The question arises from the need to ensure that unpaid carers, who often face challenges in accessing support, can receive adequate assistance.

Question

What steps are being taken to help unpaid carers access support when caring for family members?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

We recognise that carers perform a difficult role and often find it challenging to access support. The Care Act 2014 secured important rights for carers, including a responsibility for local authorities to assess and support their specific needs where eligible. We will work with unpaid carers and stakeholders to co-develop further detail in a White Paper for reform later this year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide concrete steps or commitments beyond acknowledging the difficulty faced by carers and referencing ongoing work without specific timelines or details.

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Q2 Paul Blomfield Lab
NHS Children & Families
Context

The question addresses the unique challenges faced by young carers, aged as young as seven or eight years old, who look after parents with long-term conditions. Many of these young carers are unidentified and therefore do not receive necessary support.

Question

Does the Minister agree that integrated care boards could require GPs to identify young carers and signpost them to support services? Will she work with ministerial colleagues to require schools to create a young carers lead?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

We will certainly be looking at all those points within guidance. Local authorities have a duty to assess the needs of young carers under the Children and Families Act 2014, and that duty has remained in place throughout the pandemic. Authorities must ensure that young carers are identified and referred to appropriate support if needed, and that the young carer is not taking on excessive or inappropriate care and support responsibilities. We have also announced an additional £1 billion of new recovery premium funding, which schools can use to support young carers' mental health and wellbeing, alongside their academic recovery.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer acknowledges the issue but does not commit to requiring GPs or schools to implement specific measures as requested.

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Q3 Caroline Dinenage Con Gosport
Care & Healthcare Workers
Context

The carers action plan published in 2018 aimed to improve the identification and support of unpaid carers. It is now two years later, and there are ongoing efforts to ensure continued focus on this issue.

Question

What plans are there to publish a progress report and set out next steps for how the Government intends to keep focused on supporting unpaid carers?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for her work in this role and also to all unpaid carers. There are 5.4 million unpaid carers in England and they do a fantastic job. In the forthcoming Bill that we are co-producing with unpaid carers, we will make sure that we continue to make progress in this area. I look forward to sharing that with her before the end of this year.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not provide a detailed timeline or specific plans but acknowledges ongoing work without clear commitments.

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Q4 John McNally SNP
Care & Healthcare Workers Benefits & Welfare
Context

Carers UK recently called for additional payments to unpaid carers due to their financial concerns. In Scotland, there is already a carer's allowance supplement.

Question

Will the Minister urge her colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions to match the Scottish Government's offer of an additional payment?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

There is a carer's allowance in the UK as well, but in most cases financial incentives are not the main driver for those providing unpaid care. However, we may see a shift towards less intensive caring activities or a reduction in the hours spent caring as people become more eligible for state support and we push through some of the reforms. Charging reforms bring an end to the unpredictability of care costs for care users and will do the same for those who provide unpaid care for them, allowing them to make informed choices.

Not addressed: The answer does not address the specific request about matching the Scottish Government's offer but discusses general reforms instead.

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Q5 Theresa Villiers Con
Care & Healthcare Workers
Context

Many charities and community groups that support unpaid carers faced difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question

What action has been taken to support these charities and community groups?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right: charities are also a vital part of the network of support for our unpaid carers, and some of them did have to close during the pandemic, so we have been encouraging them to open up now that we can all open up. Additional financial support was provided for the charitable sector to make sure that it could continue its vital services during the pandemic when fundraising activities were very difficult.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer provides some details but does not specify the exact nature or amount of financial support given.

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Q6 Liz Kendall Lab Leicester West
Social Care Taxation
Context

Concerns have been raised about the impact of a tax increase on unpaid carers, particularly in relation to care costs and selling homes.

Question

Will the Minister confirm that under current plans, an unpaid carer working to support their elderly mum may face a tax rise without improvement in care or prevention of home sale?

Answer from Gillian Keegan

From October 2023, the Government will introduce, for the first time in our history, a new £86,000 cap on the amount any adult in England will need to spend on their social care. That will protect them from unpredictable and unlimited costs. But as well as that there is a more—[Interruption.] The hon. Lady may like to listen to the answer. As well as that, there is a more generous means test for adult social care which will come into effect, allowing more people to benefit from the means-tested support.

Not addressed: The answer shifts focus towards general reforms rather than directly addressing the impact of proposed tax changes.

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