Carers Bill passes Holyrood stage 1

The Carers (Scotland) Bill passed stage 1 in the Scottish Parliament without a vote yesterday.

In a non-partisan debate, members approved the general principles of the measure aimed at strengthening the support available to the estimated 759,000 carers across Scotland.

The bill will give every adult carer the right to a support plan, setting out their needs and the help and support they are entitled to. Young carers will receive a similar young carer statement. The Government has announced its intention to amend the bill at stage 2 to ensure that support plans must include information about emergency planning.

Ministers will have power to set regulations regarding support to carers, to further the intent to ensure a more consistent approach nationally. Local councils will also be required to publish local carer strategies, and each local authority area will have to provide an advice and information service for carers.

Jamie Hepburn, Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said he had taken on board some of the useful contributions from the Health & Sport Committee, which reported on the bill ahead of the debate, and would also continue to work closely with the national carer organisations, and seek the views of individual carers, on the bill.

Speaking ahead of the debate, he commented: “This Government recognises the vital role that carers fulfil by caring for their family, friends and neighbours. We believe that they are undervalued considering the contribution they make to our society. The support they receive in the form of carer’s allowance is the lowest of all working age benefits. Our view is that is simply not fair. When this Government gets the power to do so, we will begin to increase carer’s allowance so that it is paid at the same level as jobseeker’s allowance, which would give carers about £600 more a year.”