Grants and breaks

Grants for carers

Do you feel that a grant could help support your health and wellbeing as a carer?

Perhaps you feel a piece of equipment, therapy, a club membership may help to support your health and wellbeing as a carer. Or maybe you just need time for yourself.

Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with NHS Oxfordshire, has simplified grants for carers for 2012 to 2013 to make it as easy as possible for people to apply for one-off direct payments.

To qualify, you need to be an unpaid carer living in Oxfordshire. Both you and the person you are caring for must be aged 18 and over. You must not have received any other carer's grant such as GP Carer Breaks, Leisure and Learning or Life of Your Own in the previous 12 months.

The following one-off direct payments are available from 21 May 2012:

• Carers Grant: a flexible grant of £350.
• GP Carer Breaks: a £750 grant with a fixed purpose - to give you a break.

You cannot apply for both grants. Please choose the one that best applies to you.

If you need any guidance please contact Carers Oxfordshire.

The Carers Grant

The Carers Grant is a flexible grant of up to £350 which is available to people who have a regular caring role for at least 10 hours a week.

It can be used in a variety of ways to help support a carer's health and wellbeing. For example:

• a break for the carer/cared for
• club membership or classes
• massage, therapy and wellbeing services
• driving lessons
• extra help at home
• training or transport costs
• a piece of equipment not available from the council or NHS.

You may be asked to give a breakdown of how the grant will be spent.

To qualify for the grant

To qualify for this grant you must be aged 18 or over and need to be living in Oxfordshire and you need to:

• be caring for someone aged 18 or over
• be providing unpaid and substantial care of at least 10 hours a week on a regular basis
• your own health and wellbeing must be at moderate risk, as a consequence of the impact of their caring role.

How to apply

If you would like to apply for this grant please :

• telephone Carers Oxfordshire on 0845 050 7666 (local rate)
• email carersoxfordshire@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
• apply online

Please read detailed guidance about the grant (pdf format, 44KB)

Further information

If you need further information or help applying or information about other carers' services:

• telephone Carers Oxfordshire at 0845 050 7666
• email carersoxfordshire@oxfordshire.gov.uk

GP Carer Breaks

The GP Carer Breaks grant has a fixed purpose - to give you a break from caring.

For example:

You may:

• be finding it hard to relax
• find it hard to fit your caring role around work and education
• simply need time for yourself.

The GP breaks scheme may be able to support you with a £750 grant. The grant has to be used within six months because the GP has identified that the carer needs a break now.

How to apply for the grant

Talk to your local GP to register as a carer.

To qualify, you must:

• be a carer 18 years or older
• be registered with a GP practice in Oxfordshire
• be caring for somebody for 20 hours a week or more (not as part of your paid employment)

You are not eligible if you have received any other carer's grant such as GP Carer Breaks, Leisure and Learning or Life of Your Own in the previous 12 months.

Further information

If you need further information or help applying or information about other carers' services:

• telephone Carers Oxfordshire at 0845 050 7666
• email carersoxfordshire@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Available budget

Grants will be available to apply for from 21 May 2012. All grants for carers will be allocated according to set criteria.

We will endeavour to manage demand during the financial year, if demand does exceed the available budget for 2012-13, we will explore other options to support carers in their application for a grant.

Related pages

• Rest, wellbeing and leisure
• Time out or a short break
• Carers assessments