The Mayor of London has welcomed the Government's recent announcement of a multi-million pound package of support for carers.
The Mayor said: 'London has 600,000 carers, about nine per cent of the population, who provide care on an informal, unpaid, but often intensive basis for relatives and friends. Carers provide a range of support to older and disabled people, including those with mental health issues and learning difficulties and this announcement is an acknowledgement of the vitally important work they are doing, work that is unpaid and which may be 'hidden' for many of us.'
In London, three fifths of London's carers are women, over a third are from Black, Asian or other minority ethnic groups, and over two per cent, or 14,000 carers, are young people. Almost a fifth of people in their fifties are carers, the peak age for caring.
The Mayor added: 'Caring is a significant issue for the capital. Londoners have a high chance of being affected by caring issues at some time, often at very short notice, so I welcome the practical assistance that is being introduced, including a national advice line, training and emergency respite cover. However the scope of the respite cover is only for crisis situations and I would like to see carers supported before a crisis develops. The level of resources given to councils should reflect the cost of living in London and be ring fenced so that it definitely goes to all of London's carers.'
The new measures for carers include:
- £25 million to be spent on providing short-term home based respite care for carers in crisis or emergency situations in every council;
- £3 million towards the establishment of a national helpline for carers;
- A review of the 1999 national carers strategy;
- £5 million to support the development of an expert carers programme.
ENDS
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