Carers NI are extremely concerned at the Department of Health’s budget for 2024/25. The current demand for community care cannot be met and unpaid carers are facing relentless pressure with long waiting times for social care packages and a lack of respite care. This is having significant impact on carers’ physical and mental wellbeing, employment opportunities and finances.

Transformation of our social care services is essential. The reform of adult social care provided a pathway to achieve this, and it is a source of great concern and frustration that funding is unavailable for another year to progress many of these initiatives.

The options for additional cost savings will have significant detrimental effect on unpaid carers, further limiting their ability to access social care services for the cared for person, breaks for themselves and support for their own health and wellbeing and we are strongly opposed to these.

Read our full response below.