Recognising and supporting carers this Carers Week
2 mins read
Monday 5 June 2023
5-11 June is Carers Week – a week that shines a spotlight on the vital role unpaid carers play in our communities.
Recent research shows that that unpaid carers – including parent carers – are providing more hours of care now than they were 10 years ago. Reduced support services such as respite care, physiotherapy, occupational and speech and language therapy, as well as mental health services means parent carers have been left to do more often complex care in their homes themselves and less able to combine work and caring.
Parent carers are at the heart of everything we do at Contact
As well as being here to support parent carers with our information, advice and support services for families, we campaign to tackle the inequalities parent carers face and raise awareness of the invaluable work they do caring for their children and young people with additional needs. Our current campaigns include:
- Carer’s Allowance: Calling on the government to increase Carer’s Allowance earnings limit to at least £166.72 (16 hours at National Living Wage). This will allow carers to earn more without losing their entitlement. You can support our campaign by tweeting and emailing your MP, or read our advice if you’re affected by this issue.
- Out of Energy: Making sure families with disabled children get the urgent and targeted support they need to avert a deepening cost-of-living crisis.
- Child Trust Funds: Supporting a parent-led campaign to help disabled children access their savings.
- Free School Meals: Supporting a parent-led campaign to offer food vouchers or other reasonable adjustments to eligible disabled children who are unfairly missing out on the free school meals.
And as the Department for Education’s delivery partner supporting parent carer participation in England, we also like to shout about the amazing work parent carers do as members of their local parent carer forums across England.
Watch our animation to find out more about us.
