Rethink: What does £15 buy you? Not a summer holiday that's for sure

Tuesday, 10 June 2008 12:00 AM

The government's pledge to plough £150 million into respite breaks for carers might sound impressive, but in reality it works out at a measly £15 per carer per year, mental health charity Rethink warns today.

Yet carers need proper breaks in order to continue caring. Rethink research found that more than one in three carers are unable to take a break lasting longer than two days each year.

Jane Harris, head of campaigns at the charity, said:

"It is great that the government has realised how important carers are and produced this new strategy but the money for respite care falls short of what is needed. Sometimes caring can be exhausting, and very short breaks of two days or less just aren't enough for carers to have time out and recharge. The new money announced today is a good start, but it won't change things for most carers".

As the Prime Minister launched his new carers' strategy, carers of people with mental illness took the opportunity to highlight the need for regular time away from their caring responsibilities by chilling out at a deckchair tea-party in front of the Houses of Parliament (photo attached).

While munching on cakes iced with the words 'We care, we count', the carers read newspapers sporting headlines such as "'We're all not going on a summer holiday'" and "'We're not impressed, need more rest'."

Holding a newspaper which called on the Prime Minster to 'Give Us A Break', mental health carer Terry Hammond, from Southampton, said: "Unless more money is spent on giving carers a break, they will end up getting ill and won't be able to carry on caring. The knock-on effect will be that even more cash will be needed to provide services to the people they care for".

NOTES TO EDITORS

There are 5.2 million carers in the UK, 1.5 million are caring for people with mental illness The government announced an extra £150 million for respite care over two years.
On average each carer saves the economy £15,000 every year Rethink is the leading mental health membership charity www.rethink.org

For more information, comment and case studies contact:

Katie.leason@rethink.org 020 7330 9129, or
a href-"mailto:Hilary.caprani@rethink.org" target="_blank">Hilary.caprani@rethink.org 020 7330 9112, or
Vicky.trimikliniotis@rethink.org 020 7330 9149

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