The Queen's Speech in May 2013 included two Bills relevant to carers amongst the Government's legislative plans for 2013-14 - a social care bill and a bill on reforming the State Pension. This briefing summarises what this pieces of legislation could mean for carers. 

The Queen’s speech on the 8th of May is expected to include new legislation to consolidate the framework of social care law, introduce important new rights for disabled people and carers, and implement recommendations made by the Dilnot Commission on long-term care funding. Carers UK has warmly welcomed the Draft of the Bill, published last year but we have also called for a number of important changes when the full Bill is published. In anticipation of the Bill’s publication, this briefing…

The Government published its draft Bill on Care and Support in July 2012. The draft Bill introduces a new legal framework for the provision of care and support services in England. A joint committee of Members of Parliament and Peers appointed to scrutinise the draft Bill have now published their report and recommendations on the draft Bill. This briefing examines what the Committee has recommended and what this may mean for the future of social care.  

In addition to downgrading forecasts for economic growth, the Chancellor announced a number of tax changes including some tax cuts, additional cuts to public spending, support with childcare vouchers, and the bringing forward of significant policies including State Pension reform and a cap on the costs of care. This briefing is a short summary of how the announcements in the March 2013 Budget will affect carers and their families.

During the Budget, the Goverment announced that previously announced changes to social care funding would start a year earlier - in 2016. This briefing has been updated following the Budget. The Government announced a number of changes to the funding of care and support services in England and how the cost is shared between the state and the individual. The new measures are based on the recommendations made by the Dilnot Commission on long-term care funding and they aim to help…

The Government is in the process of making the biggest changes to the benefits system for decades. This is bringing a great deal of uncertainty and fear for families affected by illness and disability who depend on benefits for their everyday living costs. To try and explain, in plain English, what these changes will mean for carers and their families, Carers UK has put together a list of frequently asked questions about the changes the Government is making to the…

A restriction is being introduced on the number of rooms in a socially rented home which will be covered by Housing Benefit. The new size criteria could have a major impact on certain groups of carers and some families may be unable to cover the shortfallputting them at risk of having to move. This note summarises the new rules and looks ahead to further changes on the introduction of Universal Credit later next year.

Carers UK analyses what the 2012 Autumn Statement will mean for carers, with measures including the uprating of benefits, increases to the personal tax allowance, planned changes to the Basic State Pension and funding for social care.

This briefing sets out figures on provision of unpaid care in local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, taken from the 2011 census and compared to the 2001 census. It breaks down people providing 1-19 hours of care a week, 20-49 hours and those providing in excess of 50 hours a week. Stats are broken down by Regions, counties, London boroughs, unitary authorities and districts in England; unitary authorities in Wales and local government districts in Northern Ireland.