Carers UK analyses what the 2012 Budget will mean for carers, with measures including increases to the personal tax allowance, planned changes to the Basic State Pension and the possibility of additional welfare cuts.

Carers UK briefing provides an understanding of health and wellbeing boards will function.  With guidelines to ensure that carers and their families needs stay high on the agenda for all these local bodies. We want to ensure that health and social care professionals who work with carers groups representing carers and their families know how to engage with the new structures to improve the health of carers.

Following debate in the House of Lords and new impact assessments on who will be affected by the Welfare Reform Bill, this update gives the latest details of Carers UK's work as the Bill returns to the House of Commons for further debate.

As the House of Lords prepare for Report stage of the Welfare Reform Bill, here is a summary of our key areas of concern and the action Carers UK has taken to protect carers from substantial reductions to the budget for disability benefits.

In September, Carers UK held its first ever BAME information seminar.   The seminar on Making Personalisation Successful in BAME communities was well attended with a diverse and engaging audience of carers, local groups and commissioners.  We were delighted to have had great speakers at the seminar; John Crook, Personalisation lead at Department of Health; Debbie Dixon, Action for Advoccacy and Raakhee McNulty, who is a carer for her disabled son. The seminar also provided an opportunity to work collaboratively…

Carers UK briefing for the House of Lords Grand Committee stage of the Welfare Reform Bill. The briefing focusses on three key areas which Carers UK has worked with Peers on amendments for: the inclusion of Carer's Allowance in the proposed benefit cap, the reduction in an earnings disregard for some carers and assessing the impact of cuts to disability benefit budgets on carers.

The House of Lords will debate the Welfare Reform Bill in Autumn 2011. The Bill sets out Government plans to replace most working-age benefits with a new Universal Credit and replace Disability Living Allowance with Personal Independence Payment. This briefing sets out the major issues for carers arising from these major reforms.

Carers UK summarises what the proposals of the Commission on Funding of Care and Support mean for carers - including the cap on lifetimes care costs, raising the means-test threshold, national eligibility criteria and new advice and information strategies.

Carers UK reports on the £400 million in funding for carers breaks  announced by the Government, to be delivered through Primary Care Trusts in England. Details of key facts, important questions to ask Health Trusts and resources available.