§ Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent measures have been introduced to support informal care by carers and other groups. [88873]
§ Jacqui SmithThe Carers and Disabled Children Act 2000 strengthens the rights of carers to an assessment of their own needs as carers, and also gives local councils more powers to directly support carers. The carers grant for 2003–4 will be increased to £100 million to ensure that more carers are able to receive breaks. One of the major changes to this grant is that the proportion to be spent on carers services will increase from 10 per cent, to 16 per cent. From October 2002, the Department of Work and Pensions has extended the invalid care allowance to carers over 65.