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Carers: Respite Care

Asked by Bradley ThomasConservativeDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 19 June 2026UIN 9878

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his department will consider introducing a short respite service for unpaid carers that they can access yearly.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock

Responsibility for commissioning respite services rests with local authorities and it is based on their assessment of the needs of their local populations.

Through the Better Care Fund, integrated care boards and local authorities are encouraged to work together to identify and support unpaid carers, including through the provision of respite and short-break services where appropriate.

The Better Care Fund is an over £9 billion annual framework for integrated care boards and local authorities to make joint plans and pool budgets for the purposes of delivering better joined-up care.

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