Carers personal budgets

A carers personal budget is one way to help you take a break from caring.

The carers personal budget is a small sum of money to help you remain healthy and well enough to carry on with your caring role. It is offered to make sure that your health and wellbeing is a consideration. It is important to maintain your health, enjoy leisure activities and make time to go to your own medical appointments. The carers personal budget isn’t means tested but it is based on individual need and will be assessed annually in case your circumstances change.

You can apply for a carers personal budget if:

• your carers assessment shows that your needs that cannot be met another way

• you are an unpaid carer (carers allowance is not classed as payment)

• you care for someone who lives in Salford

• you have had a carers assessment

If the social worker assesses you are entitled to a carers personal budget, they will help you to fill in a support plan. This explains how you want to use the carers personal budget to give yourself a break from caring and how having a break will help you.

Are there things you cannot use your carers personal budget for?

There are some things the carers personal budget will not fund including:

• holidays or breaks that you have already taken or paid for

• costs of breaks or holidays booked before your carers assessment

• debts and household bills

• gambling (including bingo and the lottery)

• services which are, or should be provided to person you care for

• the cost of a break for the person you care for

What do I need to do next?

More information about a carers assessment.

If you want to find out more about support for carers email salford.carers@gaddum.org.uk

Adult social care is now provided by Northern Care Alliance