Cash grants will support short breaks.
Around 3,000 more parent carers who look after disabled or
seriously ill children will be able to take a break from their
caring routine thanks to increased investment.
They will receive cash grants
to help finance a short break, like a day out
or time away with their loved ones, after an
additional £1.1 million was given to Family Fund, a charity
supporting parents who look after disabled and seriously ill
children.
Taking the total number of short breaks supported by the Scottish
Government up to more than 8,500 in 2025-2026, the cash grants
will go to those who originally applied for financial assistance
but were unsuccessful due to high demand.
Recognising their selflessness over the festive period and
throughout the year, Social Justice Secretary said:
“Unpaid carers are the unsung heroes of so many people's
lives. They go above and
beyond to provide comfort and dignity
for thousands of people, and they do so with
pride.
“But it can also be a
demanding and tiring responsibility. I
am proud that we are supporting more parent carers to look after
themselves, helping them to reset with a short
break away from the day-to-day routine of
caring.
“They show dedication, love and support, not
just over the festive period, but every single
day. They have my utmost respect and gratitude for
the work that they do.”
Family Fund previously supported Yunus, 46, who
is a Livingston-based father of four, to take
his family to Blackpool last year.
Yunus had stopped working in cyber
security to become a full-time, unpaid carer for
his daughter, Arya, 5.
She suffered from
Acute Lympoblastic Leukaemia, a cancer in blood cells,
which her dad described as “hell on
earth.”
Arya rang the bell last Christmas, marking the end of her
treatment. Now, she receives regular health
checks and is doing well aside from minor side
effects from treatment.
Yunus also cares for his wife and his son with
autism.
He said:
“The support that organisations like Family Fund provide people
facing the circumstances I have is
invaluable.
“You never expect the worst to happen to your own family, but
when it does, it's crucial that help is
available.
“I am so proud of my daughter and of my entire family.
“Being able to take a short break brought some light back to our
lives during one of
the toughest periods for my wife, my
children, and myself. I'm pleased the Scottish
Government is helping to make that a reality for many
others.”
Background
Take a
Break Scotland is a voluntary sector short
break grant scheme for parent carers of disabled or
seriously ill children and young people aged 0-17. The aim of the
scheme is to improve unpaid carers' quality of
life, health and wellbeing by providing cash grants to
help them access a short break from the day-to-day routine of
caring. Carers can use Take a Break Scotland grants flexibly to
help meet their interests and circumstances. Family
Fund administer Take a Break Scotland on behalf of
the Scottish Government.
This £1.1 million investment takes total Take a Break
Scotland funding up to £.3.3 million this year.
Take a Break Scotland is part of the Scottish Government funded
voluntary sector Short Breaks Fund. This
received a £5 million funding boost this year, taking total
investment to £13 million.
There are around 694,000 unpaid carers, including
27,000 young carers under the age of 18, in Scotland.
