Unpaid carers in Wales will continue to receive additional
support to take well-earned breaks from their caring role,
Minister for Children and Social Care, has said.
The Minister has also confirmed funding is being made available
to continue support for carers on low incomes to buy essential
items.
The Short Breaks Scheme and Carers Support Fund will receive
£3.5m and £1.75m respectively for 2025/26 from the Welsh
Government.
These schemes are in addition to the duties that local
authorities are under to provide appropriate support for carers.
The Short Breaks Scheme is on track to deliver, or exceed, the
target of 30,000 additional short break opportunities by March
2025. Its extension will continue to help unpaid carers in Wales
take breaks from their responsibilities to support their
wellbeing.
The funding can be used, for example, for short holidays,
activity days and cinema trips. It can also support carers in
pursuing a hobby or sport.
Recent findings suggest only 14% of the adult carers who have
benefitted from the scheme had also accessed a break from
elsewhere in the last 12 months, demonstrating the crucial role
it is playing. 80% of those benefitting from the scheme are
providing more than 50 hours of care a week.
The Carers Support Fund provides emergency financial support for
unpaid carers of all ages on low incomes to pay for essential
items. This could be food, a household item or a utility bill. In
addition, the fund also provides information to help people
manage finances and ensure they are claiming all benefits and
entitlements.
Almost half of unpaid carers accessing the schemes in the past
three years were not previously known to services and so the
schemes show the significant added value as a gateway to other
forms of support.
Minister for Children and Social Care, said: “Unpaid carers play a
crucial role in providing care for their family members and
friends.
“I am delighted we are providing funding for the coming year to
help more unpaid carers take short breaks as there is good
evidence they can have a big impact on wellbeing.
“We also know many unpaid carers experience financial pressures
because of their caring role and the Carers Support Fund will
continue to provide crucial additional assistance for carers on
low incomes.”
Carers Trust Director for Wales, Kate Cubbage, said: “We've heard
from thousands of unpaid carers that the Short Breaks Scheme has
given them their first access to a break from caring and that
grants through the Carers Support Fund have been essential to
keep food on the table and heat in their homes.
“These programmes are needed now more than ever, as costs rise
and our partners in health and social care face increasing
pressures. Our colleagues in statutory services tell us that
modest investments in these transformative programmes make a
difference to sustaining carers in their vital caring role and
prevent the need for further intervention from acute services.
“As the National Coordinating Body for the Short Breaks Scheme
and the organisation leading delivery of the Carers Support Fund,
Carers Trust welcomes Welsh Government's commitment to
safeguarding these vital programmes with an assurance of funding
for another year.
"This funding will enable local carer organisations and delivery
partners to reach thousands more unpaid carers with a much-needed
break from caring and with protection from the sharpest end of
poverty into 2026."
