New deal for carers
Tuesday, 10 Jun 2008 13:39
Britain increasingly has an ageing population
A new package of measures to help the lives of carers has been welcomed by campaigners.
The £225 million deal is designed for the six million carers in the UK who provide unpaid care worth £87 billion each year.
The demand for care is expected to rise in the future, with the number of people over 85 - those most in need of care - increasing by over 50 per cent in the next ten years.
Extra investment of £150 million will be spent on expanding short breaks for people looking after friends or family members, doubling the amount of respite care available over two years.
A further £38 million will go towards supporting carers to enter or re-enter the job market and £6 million is earmarked for improving support for young carers.
And annual health checks will be piloted to ensure that carers themselves stay mentally and physically well.
Health minister Ivan Lewis also announced that carers will be given greater choice and control over their lives by increased use of direct payments.
He described the package of measures as "historic" and said it is "the beginning of a ten-year programme to give carers the recognition and status they deserve".
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