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News Archive

This page contains links to news articles from the press which may be of interest to carers and also local news and developments related to carers. Use the links above to access archived news stories. West Sussex Carers Online does not necessarily endorse the views expressed in these links.

Help Carers UK get better support for carers
As the general election approaches Carers UK will be campaigning to make sure that whoever forms the next government is left in no doubt that carers need to be a priority. Carers UK is urging as many carers as possible back their campaign and send a message to the next Prime Minister. Sign the Carers UK letter at www.carersuk.org

New Carer's Credit scheme for unpaid carers (added 22.2.10)
The government has urged people who are caring for a friend or relative to take advantage of a new scheme to build up their state pension entitlement. Angela Eagle, Minister for Pensions and Ageing Society, said: "From April 2010 we want people to tell us if they are looking after somebody for more than 20 hours a week so they benefit from this scheme". To check if you qualify for the new Carer's Credit, which will count towards your entitlement for the basic and second state pension visit www.direct.gov.uk or phone 0800 678 1132.

Carers of disabled offered breaks (added 19.2.10)
Under government plans, local councils in England will be required to provide free short breaks for the parents and carers of disabled children. The breaks can be in the day or overnight, in or out of the home, and may give children and young peple the chance to experience new activities. The breaks would be offered for free but it would be down to local authorities to decide who should be eligible. The Department for Children, Schools and Families has launched a consultation on the issue. Read the full article at http://news.bbc.co.uk

Money for carers is left unspent (added 19.2.10)
Carers' charities believe that only about a quarter of the money allocated has been spent on respite care. There are around 6 million carers in the UK today, and each day another 6,000 people join that list. The Politics Show South has learned that many of those carers who would be eligible for Carers Allowance are not claiming it. To be eligible for Carers Allowance, you have to be looking after someone receiving Disability Allowance of some kind, and take care of them for 35 hours a week. Read the article at http://news.bbc.co.uk

Tipping point for care - time for a new social contract (added 9.2.10)
Carers UK has a bold vision for a new social contract between individuals, communities, employers and the state which places the caring relationships of individuals and families at its centre. Read the 10 page document at www.carersuk.org (378.84 Kb).

Benefit fund for care professionals launched (added 21.12.09)
The Care Professionals Benevolent Fund (CPBF) helps all types of care professionals, either currently working or who have worked in the long-term care sector, through hard times. To find out more about the CPBF go to www.cpbenevolentfund.org.uk/latest_news.cfm

Carers to get help in training and financial support (added 14.12.09)
Thousands of carers are set to benefit from improved employment support, giving them the chance to combine paid work with caring and help reduce financial hardship. Jobcentre Plus customers with caring responsibilities will also be able to access replacement care funding while they are taking part in employment training. Read the article here.

Carers caught in a club sandwich (added 14.12.09)
A new report highlights the pressure on the growing number of families that have to care for both the very young and the very old. They were dubbed the sandwich generation, the middle-aged couples trapped between the needs of elderly parents on one side and the demands of young children on the other. Read the article here.

Landmark ruling to protect carers in the workplace (added 7.12.09)
Carers are to get the same protection as disabled people in the workplace, after a landmark ruling concerning a London law firm at the Employment Appeal Tribunal. The case involved Sharon Coleman, who claims she was forced to quit her job after she asked for time off to look after her disabled son. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 has been amended to reflect this ruling.

Caring for elderly people should be promoted as a career, says Dame Joan Bakewell (added 23.11.09)
Dame Joan Bakewell, the Government-appointed adviser on old age, says she has been taken aback by the level of concern among elderly people about standards of care in their own homes and in residential establishments. She states: 'Caring for the elderly should become a recognised profession and be recommended to school leavers as a rewarding career to meet the demand for higher standards in homes'. Read the full article at www.timesonline.co.uk

Hospitals treat Alzheimer’s patients so badly 'one in three carers complain' (added 23.11.09)
Some hospitals are treating Alzheimer’s patients so badly that some families have complained about their loved one's care. Read the article at www.telegraph.co.uk

David Cameron on Autism (added 23.11.09)
The UK Autism Foundation has been lobbying and campaigning against proposed cuts to public services. Ivan Corea, UK Autism Foundation's CEO, has written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Opposition Leader David Cameron and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg urging them to protect parents, carers, children and adults with autism and Asperger's Syndrome from the proposed cuts to public services. Mr Cameron has responded and they are awaiting a response from the Prime Minister and the Liberal Democrat leader. Read more at www.disabled-world.com

Success for Talking Therapies Pilot in tackling depression (added 3.11.09)
The government's Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme has received a boost after an evaluation of a pilot identified significant improvements for people with depression and anxiety. The study of the Doncaster Primary Care Trust pilot found three-quarters of patients referred for treatment from August 2006-August 2007 who completed programmes were found to be in remission or recovery. The programme is now being expanded to 115 areas. Read the full article at www.communitycare.co.uk

Searching the Web can slow the advance of dementia (added 2.11.09)
Using Google to search the internet is good for the brain and can slow or even reverse age-related conditions such as dementia, according to scientists from UCLA in Los Angeles. They found older people who have never used the internet before boosted their brain power just a week after going online. Researchers found simple internet searches triggered key centres in the brain, which control decision-making and complex reasoning. Read the article at www.dailymail.co.uk

Carers of disabled people have right to claim discrimination (added 2.11.09)
The Employment Appeal Tribunal has ruled that carers can no longer be discriminated against because they care for a disabled person under UK law. The judgement comes from the case of S. Coleman who claims she was forced to leave her job at a London law firm because of her responsibilities as a carer to her disabled son. Read the full article at www.communitycare.co.uk

Carers UK and Daily Mirror have launched a 'Caring for Carers' campaign (added 19.10.09)
The Daily Mirror has joined forces with Carers UK to launch a campaign Caring for Carers. The national newspaper is calling on Government to improve the lives of the millions of people who care for a relative or friend. The Mirror's campaign calls for an end to the financial hardship suffered by carers and an immediate review by Government into carers' benefits; more respite breaks and health checks for carers; and for carers to be given discretionary time off when they are unable to cope. Read more about the campaign and leave comments on the campaign blog at http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/carers-campaign/

NHS 'failing to support carers' (added 19.10.09)
There are an estimated 6million carers in Britain. Campaigners state that the NHS is failing to invest in much needed services for carers. Data uncovered by two charities suggested just £10m of the extra £50m earmarked for support services was being spent this year. Read more at http://news.bbc.co.uk

Carers UK welcomes the end to means testing for personal care (added 19.10.09)
The Prime Minister has announced that disabled and older people with critical needs will be entitled to free care in their homes. This would benefit up to 350,000 people and could mean families who are currently struggling to meet the costs of care could be hundreds of pounds better off. He said that from October 2010 those with the highest needs would get free personal care in their own homes, with the aim of encouraging saving and helping older people to stay in their own homes for as long as possible. Read the Carers UK article at www.carersuk.org

Carers UK issues statement in response to the Conservative announcement of a policy for payment of residential care fees (added 19.10.09)
Commenting on the Conservative party's new policy to prevent people from selling their homes to pay for residential care, Imelda Redmond, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said: "Following the Prime Minister's announcement on free personal care for the elderly last week, we are now starting to see a political consensus emerging that the crisis in our social care system must be tackled." Read Carers UK's article at www.carersuk.org

Autism in the UK today, by Mark Lever, chief executive of The National Autistic Society (added 14.9.09)
"I was a newcomer to the autism world when I joined the National Autistic Society (NAS) almost two years ago, and I was immediately struck by the passion and energy of the autism community. I soon learned that very often this passion is borne of having had to fight - sometimes for years - for basic services and support. All this, while learning to live with a condition which is greatly misunderstood and much more common than most people realise." Read the article here

Disabled people urged to 'Tell us what you think' in a Right to Control consultation (added 30.6.09)
Right to Control is a shake-up of the way disabled people can use the funding they receive from the State. Under the new scheme, disabled people will be able to choose who delivers their services and how they receive them. They can have as much or as little control as they want and they could choose to spend the money on a wide range of support to help them to live their lives with greater independence and freedom. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper said: "Disabled people know more about their own lives than anyone else, and the Right to Control will give them the power to decide what support they need and who should provide it." To have your say phone 020 7449 5093 or visit www.odi.gov.uk/right-to-control

Cash boost for blind people (added 30.6.09)
From 2011, blind people will be entitled to receive the higher rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance, which wil help with additional mobility costs, allowing them greater freedom to get out and about, either socially or to find work, said James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The current higher rate of mobility component of Disability Living Allowance is £46.75. The lower rate is £17.75. To qualify for the Disability Living Allowance higher rate mobility component a person must have a physical disablement which renders them unable or virtually unable to walk. For more information visit www.direct.gov.uk

Online help for dementia sufferers and carers (added 22.5.09)
A website designed to support people with dementia and their families and carers has been launched. The online Dementia Centre, developed by health and social care charity PSS follows on from the organisation's existing Dementia Café internet site. The site can be viewed at www.dementiacentre.com

Delaying retirement could prevent early dementia, say scientists (added 22.5.09)
Working beyond normal retirement age might help stave off dementia, scientists have stated. Keeping the brain active later in life appears to reduce the chances of an early onset of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study of 382 men with probable dementia. Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College, London, studied data from 1,320 people with dementia. The research is funded by the Alzheimer's Research Trust and the Medical Research Council. The researchers found no link between education or employment and dementia risk, but found that those who retired later prolonged their mental abilities above the threshold for dementia. Read more here

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