Carers Trust responds to Fabian Society report on National Care Service

The Fabian Society has published its report Support Guaranteed: the Road to a National Care Service.

Responding to the report, Rohati Chapman, Carers Trust's Executive Director for Programmes, Policy & Impact, said:

"Carers Trust welcomes the Fabian Society’s report and its proposal for a National Care Service. We’re particularly pleased it shares our goal of a right to short breaks for unpaid carers. Those breaks can make all the difference to families, providing vital respite for those struggling with the pressures of their caring role. In a recent Carers Trust survey, 53% of unpaid carers said a break is the thing that would make the biggest difference to them.

"We agree that a cross-government strategy for carers is much-needed. Many unpaid carers tell us they are being plunged into poverty, with 64% having to give up paid work altogether or cut back on hours. Many have to get by on Carer’s Allowance, the lowest benefit of its kind. They are unjustly paying the penalty for a crisis in adult social care which has left so many people needing to be looked after at home by friends and relatives. A long-term plan to provide support and address these issues, which are blighting so many lives, is long overdue."

For further information, contact:

Mark Chandler, Carers Trust Media and PR Officer, on mchandler@carers.org and 07712 427808