Welsh Government announces £5.25m support for unpaid carers

Funding of £5.25 million to help unpaid carers buy essential items and take respite breaks from their caring role has been announced by the Welsh Government.

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 funding can be used, for short holidays, activity days and cinema trips. It can also support carers in pursuing a hobby or sport.

The scheme is set to deliver, or exceed, a target of 30,000 additional short break opportunities by March 2025.

Key role

Recent research 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 key 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 includes food, a household item or a utility bill.

The fund also provides information to help people manage their finances and ensures 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.

Minister for Children and Social Care, Dawn Bowden 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.”

‘Needed’

Carers Trust Director for Wales, Kate Cubbage, added: “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.”