Sources of Funding for Unpaid Carers in the UK

Preparing for Your Carer’s Assessment

You will need the following:

your NHS number (if you have one)
your GP's name, address, and phone number
contact details of anyone who's coming to the assessment with you
the name, address, date of birth and NHS number of the person you care for (if you have it)
your email address.

Record Your Experiences as an Unpaid Carer

Independent Age have compiled this preparatory list, do record answers to these questions regularly, in a journal of care, and use your experiences to back up your case.

We suggest maintaining this journal to support in future applications for funding.

are you getting enough sleep or is it disturbed by your caring role?
is your health affected? If so, how?
are you able to go out without worrying about the safety of the person you care for?
are your other relationships being affected?
do you need information about what support and benefits are available?
is your caring role having an impact on your job?
what equipment is needed by the person you care for to enable you to care for them safely?
do you need any training, for example in first aid or in moving and handling the person you care for?
do you want to spend less time in your caring role? For example, you may wish to go back to work or attend a course or just have more time to yourself.

Other Benefits Available

Carers UK have put together a great list of additional government benefits to support you if you are an unemployed carer.

Step 2 – Apply to Local Carer Services for Additional Funding

Local care services will all offer different levels of funding support. They often have specific requirements that must be met, with informal assessments of your needs and limitations for the number of times the grants can be applied for in a year.

Some may also ask for proof of purchase to ensure that your grant has been spent appropriately. If you have any special requirements for invoicing when making an order with us, do let us know.

How to Apply

Head to Carers Trust and type in your postcode into their Carers Partners Network Search to find Carers Services local to you.
Find funding or support information on their site along with any assessments they will need to undertake to verify your eligibility.
Get in touch with the assessors and follow their application process, paying close attention to their preferred methods of contact (email or post) when applying.
Ask for support from the Carers Service you are applying to if you run into any difficulties getting your personal information or care documents together.

Can’t Find Your Local Service?

Contact the NHS Carers Direct helpline, on 0300 123 1053 for further information and signposting to local sources of support in England.
Northern Ireland: Contact your local health trust, you can search for them online.
Scotland: Visit Care Information Scotland.
See also the Carers Scotland website.
Wales: Visit Dewis.

How to Apply

Use the links above to find your grant.

Take time to understand the criteria for successful applications, making sure you apply to the appropriate grants, so you do not waste time.

Get in touch with the assessors and follow their application process, paying close attention to their preferred methods of contact (email or post) when applying.

Ask for support from the grant administrators for your application if you have difficulties.

Step 4 – Ask for Help.

With all the information available, it is easy to feel lost while searching for the right funding, or to even believe that you are eligible for support.

Get in touch with NHS Carers Direct and Citizens Advice to make sure that you are fully armed with all the information you need to apply for funding successfully.

At BitePRO®, we believe that everyone has the right to care with confidence. Our team are always on hand to support you in buying the right bite protection to suit your needs.

If you are an unpaid carer, we would like to hear from you about your experiences with finding funding.

21/04/2021